Will D&D 3.5 have action dice?

[The Dungeon Master]

I play Spycraft, also skimmed through the d20 Modern book. My question is will D&D 3.5 have action dice? Both Spycraft and d20 Modern have these rules.

Action dice: allowing a player to add a roll of 1d4 to any d20 roll unless the GM/DM says otherwise. The catch is that the player only has maybe one or two d4 action dice so he/she must use them conservatively. In game, the DM can award a player an extra action dice based on a good idea or excellent role-playing or just about anything he/she deems good.

I have mixed feelings about using action dice in D&D, mainly because I feel it would detract from what I feel is core D&D somehow. On the other hand it does make for some heroic and sometimes stupid decisions on the players part.

 

[Ascending Crane]

I would love for an action dice mechanic for D&D 3.5. As an optional rule for those folks who may not like it, of course.

But I think action dice significantly add to the roleplaying enjoyment when players can have some measure of control of the vagaries of chance.

 

[Left-handed Hummingbird]

Well, the concept isn't entirely foreign to D&D as Clerics with the Luck Domain has a power not unlike Action Dice. I sincerely doubt, though, that the revised rules will include Action Dice as anything more than an optional rule.

 

[Henry]

Action Dice are important to a game system that has few to no stat-enhancing boosters, such as Spycraft, Modern, or Star Wars. You need something to take the place of potions, scrolls, and some magic items, to give characters an extra boost when the chips are down.

Therefore, IMHO adding action dice to D&D would be similar to having ice cream a la mode for a dessert.

 

[Thorvald Kviksverd]

Action Dice are important to a game system that has few to no stat-enhancing boosters, such as Spycraft, Modern, or Star Wars. You need something to take the place of potions, scrolls, and some magic items, to give characters an extra boost when the chips are down.

Therefore, IMHO adding action dice to D&D would be similar to having ice cream a la mode for a dessert.

I pretty much agree--but, just to play the devil's advocate...

What about those characters who don't wish to "magic up"?

Perhaps a mechanic similar to essence in Shadowrun?

Magic could be viewed as the "cyberware" of the D&D world, and the presence of magic would degrade a hero's "luck".

I don't know, perhaps the gods don't look as kindly upon those who rely upon magic--rather than divine favor.

Therefore, a character who relied heavily on magic would have fewer and/or smaller sized action dice; while those relying on their natural abilities would have more and/or larger action dice...

 

[Victim]

So the gods don't like clerics?

Also, the amount of magic a character is using can vary by the round. Tracking that would be incredibly complicated.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

I don't think you need official rules to add action dice.

The good thing about Spycraft and them is they are built into the system. For examples: Class abilities, feats, background, criticals, and other areas can involve action dice.

3.5 D&D is not going to be rewritten to include action dice.

But, that doesn't mean you can't add them. I am going to do that for my next campeign. I will be limiting their use to addition to roles and activating criticals.

SD

 

[Thorvald Kviksverd]

So the gods don't like clerics?

OK, maybe just arcane magic then.

Also, the amount of magic a character is using can vary by the round. Tracking that would be incredibly complicated.

I agree.

Maybe the action die type/number would be dependent upon the value of non-divine magical gear carried on your person at the beginning of an adventure; while no action dice could be used while the subject of a beneficial arcane spell, or while casting an arcane spell.

Anyway, I'm not saying I advocate this--just throwing some ideas around...

 

[MarauderX]

In a cool campaign I am in, we use Hero Points in a similiar way. We can spend them to add in a d6 with any d20 roll, such as attacks, saves, stabilization or skill checks, and it works very well. We were given 4 hero points at the beginning of the campaign and it averages that we get 2 more per level. In any campaign I start I will probably copy this as it helps out with those critical situations where it is 'do or die'. I am all for it.

 

[Someone]

Anyway, I'm not saying I advocate this--just throwing some ideas around...

What if you need Action dice to power specially powerful magic items? That way, only true heroes could use them.