I watch John Wick on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/LordStrange
Great game designer, Great Game master and All round mostly good guy.
What if anything does this have to do with action points?
Well let me tell you.
See he is not a huge fan of D&D but he still has some exellent insights.
See he was talking about that you should have an immidate reward for players when they play thing correctly.
Whatever your system runs off, drama dice, style points, edge, whatever the system calls it try and reward them.
I an vampire game he had the hershs? kiss valentines edition because they were shaped in a heart.
(I am sorry I am an ozzie and don't know your treats very well)
D&D lacks this, a reward for playing correctly.
Everyone has different styles and such yes.
But when you goto a game you should know what it's about, I don't think people go along to an action style game and try and play up horror.
Now this leads me to the second part.
Action points.
Every time I have seen them, be it in wonderful Trailblazer book, Ebberon campaign setting or even Unearth Arcana, the name 'action point' could be more acculately be called, 'Statistical Anomaly Avoidance dice'.
Why would I give such a ridiculous name to 'action points'.
Because that is what they are in these systems they get recouped at each level rather than for playing in the style that befits the game.
But why even add this level of complexity to your game it is already 'balanced' enough.
Oh how I loath that word when I hear it and RPG in the same sentence.
The wiff factor.
Now after doing some very quick research I can't find a whole lot on it but here is what it is in a nut shell.
Bases are loaded, you need three points to win the seris, mum back home is watching from dallis, theres been two strikes already, you win this you get the money you need for her operation, and the sound of the ball going passed the batter head, 'wiffff'.
Basicly the idea is despite all thats on the line that little piece of plastic doesn't care.
You need that 15 to 20 to hit this guy, taking a the list from fable, he killed your sister the only person you had left in this world, he killed your family you made from nothing and now he just killed your dog.
And, Roll D20 = 3....
What a game.
Now, D&D is a game of heroics, you can't denie it.
It's about critical hits and critical fumbles the extremes.
Maybe you want to NOOOOOO.
No you don't who wants to verse there arch rivial and be doing nothing but 10's when you need 12's
It's not fun, ask someone if they enjoy failing, I don't know anyone who immediately responds to that by saying Yes, I love failer, my own.
So by now your wondering what I am getting at, Action points are good, but 'Statistical Anomaly Avoidance dice' they are bad.
Reward your players for playing right.
Sucking it up is not fun.
Well yes to all of those.
Here is what I suggest and no this is not a house rules/suggestion ecta area style read this goes to being a good GM.
Stop moving my stuff.
What I suggest is, First fine a system of, 'Action points' that can work for your group.
Ones that add abilities, ones that simply improve dice roll, ones that just improve dice rolls and make you auto stablize.
Whatever you and your group choose be sure everyone is on the same ground.
Make them your own, I have 'Cinematic Dice' in my game.
Reward your players according to how they 'should' be playing the game.
Say you want them to play characters more give them 'Character Points' when they do 'stupid' things out of character but very in character ations.
Or how about my own?
When they discribe what there doing in combat to bring role play and cinema to the combat, give them a 'Cinematic Dice' point.
Now I have gone through the does.
And if you can give them something tangable when you give them this game reward, I give mini milky ways (a treat here in Australia) little 12 gram treats, you get fat of this there is something seriously wrong.
Whatever your guys and gals like it doesn't matter.
The don'ts.
DON'T REFRESH AT LEVELS!
This is the worst possiable thing you could do.
You take away from the person playing very well and give to the everybody.
Oh don't favour one person over another an- NO BS!
You want people to play in a certain style.
Whatever you style is I don't care, but you should!
By doing this it 'forces' everyone to conform to the game.
And your the person giving them out, I am not suggesting a frequince of gifting.
You determine when how many whatever, give them out when they follow your plot points, give them out when they make their own adventure.
Whatever it is you are only giving them out when you when YOU should.
So if someone has less than everyone else perhaps there not playing in the spirit this game was intended.
Don't be afraid.
What does it matter that Frank got 12 action points that is in the limit of your system, it doesn't matter that he destroyed that encounter.
Are they having fun?
If Frank smashed the role-play aspect to get all these points he got them because he deserved them.
Don't gib him because your worried about how it will effect your game.
A final word.
I know for some of you it maybe hard to do the work and find the stuff on this I am going to do a thread on how make different styles of action points in the suggestions/house rule/something else I can't remember now area.
But here is the thing.
I CHALLANGE YOU TO USE THEM.
They have made my game so much better.
People enjoy it more people get much more into flow of the game.
Just try it and get back to me I am waiting to hear (or read in this case) about your success stories.
My group has long been a fan of such rules. "Karma Pool" from Shadowrun 3 was a long-time favorite (although it seems kind of clumsy in retrospect).
"Action Points" didn't work quite the way I wanted them to, so I drafted my own version called "Luck Points." When given sparingly, they work great!
Luck Points
At any time the player can spend a Luck Point to add or subtract 1d6 from any roll made by his PC or any willing allied PC. A Luck Point can also subtract 1d6 from an enemy damage roll. A luck point can also negate an automatic failure, such as a fumble, by a PC or allied PC, and can negate an enemy critical success. In these cases, the results become normal successes or failures.
This effect can be used just before the roll is made, or immediately after the roll result is announced, but before any other further unrelated rolls are made. You may spend any number of Luck Points on a given roll, and you may roll Luck Points one at a time until the desired outcome is achieved or you run out of Luck Points.
Using Luck Points does not require any type of action. Luck Points may be used by unconscious, dying, or even dead characters who were involved in the current scene. Once spent, a Luck Point disappears for ever and ever.
Each PC and important NPC receives one Luck Point at character creation. You gain one additional Luck Point per level, and you can gain any number of bonus Luck Points through in-game actions. Acts rewarded by Luck Points include but are not limited to:
I have now finshed writing my sister thread to this one.
This will give some of the mechanics behind the whole idea rather than have them on this thread.
Evil Lincoln.
I like your fabulous five.
I am very similar my game is different but I most proberly use those as well.
I really like your style man good job.
Rhubarb.
Why not tried it?
Yeah I know there is certain things you can not try before not liking them but generally they are pretty extreme.
Giving treats to players I would say is mild at best.
There is a whole pychological element behind patterned rewarding behavior.
After you have tried it then feel free to dis it all you like.
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My Beloved Spouse (Kobold Chorus: "We love you!") and I have been using Action Points since ... um... since we started gaming together. They are an essential part of our game, and prevent a great deal of frustration at the crap die rolls that sometimes plague a great game.
Now with that said, they aren't the be-all-end-all fix. And my Beloved Spouse and the Heart of my Heart is considering and mentioning possible changes. Specifically in the "Spend an AP, describe your action cinematically and if it works, it works". More Feng Shui than Eberron.
I was planning to avoid using AP's in PFRPG, specifically in the Council of Thieves AP. But then the dice started saying "Hastur, Hastur, Hastur" and I added them back in.
AP's will be a part of my gaming for as long as I'm gaming.
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When I added in action points, they were a mix bag. Some players just ignored them, and others lived off of them. Now I add them in sparingly, usually if I want a more cinematic game. They worked great in Age of Worms - Eberron.
To avoid the wiff factor, we allow 1 dm re-roll per session, and I also add additional bonus' if they act something out well. Finally, for playing well and trying, I usually give out additional XP. The outcomes of the dice therefore don't hurt as much, and while there may be moments that aren't as cinematic, the players still enjoy themselves and know their effort is being rewarded.
One good thing about action points, even if you only give them out at levels, is that they involve players in tense situations rather than forcing them into a spectator role.
GM: Make a Will save.
Player: 19
GM: Are you happy with that?
At this point, the player decides whether or not to spend an action point, giving her something to do in an interaction that could seriously impact her character.
Mikhaila Burnett.
Glad to hear or read...
That they work for you could you elaborate on how and why they work for you and how you guve out rewards?
Weylin.
Where you a GM or player then and how did reciving them enhance or reduce your level of fun?
Modera.
One playing living off them and others ignoring them did that create an imbalance and did have any level of conflict because of it?
I like to read that people give out bonus for role playing incombat good work.
Weylin.
Does that take away from the theme of D&D.
The whole game is based around massive success or failer.
by the same token if one wanted to get a better balance could they not just roll 3D6 to get a more bell curved average?
Does the re-rolling take extra time?
Rhubarb.
Ok so you don't like the idea of action points. elaborate?
Tbug.
I am the way I run I ask rather than saying if it is success or failer and then asking if they wish to use an action point to alter the roll.
The reason I do it is one cause I'm an ass, and like to have them guessing some of the time if they have just hit or just one by say one or two.
I'll ask, you think that makes it?
The other reason was the one you talked about.
Keeping the player there and present.
Thanks for comments keep them coming.
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I think we're currently using the 5 + (1/2 character level) set for how many AP's a character gets. We've dabbled with variations on how many points one gets and when. In one game, we didn't get any at all until 3rd level. Most games, we get 5 at first, then the formula above.
One action point = add 1d6 to a d20 roll. Limited to 1 action point per turn, even if multiple d20's are rolled. Sometimes it's just a 'spend an action point and it's all good', depending on the situation.
Additionally, you can burn an AP to auto-stabilize at negative HP(less of an issue with PFRPG's stabilize rules)
You only get a refresh of AP's at levels, so resource management can be an issue if you're burning them quickly. (I had a character go through their entire allotment in the first 20 minutes of play once)
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Basicly the idea is despite all thats on the line that little piece of plastic doesn't care....
I give poker chips of 2 colors for doing a good job. At the end of session, for each good idea, or creative thing a player does, he gets a character point chip (blue) Who ever wins session gets an additional 2 chips. these chips can be spent in game play to add a 1d6 to any die roll including damage. Players love them, want to do a death drop with swords out at an end battle, spend a couple of chips and add the pluses. Keep a max/session of 6 chips though. If a player levels I give them 2 green chips. These are rerolls for any die being rolled either by the DM or player. My players save these for when I crit as DM which is fine. They do spend them frequently except one of my players that is hording about 10 chips right now. He is saving up to tackle the main main bad guy at the end of the campaign.
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I'm a fan of "action points" really only when the players earn them. I don't like the action points per level, and I also do not like the use them or lose them idea. I really enjoy games taht are more difficult, mentally, and also have some risk, and I think most systems for action points usually do not reward a player for for putting themself into the game or are a crutch.