Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fromost the Grimm 09-09-04, 08:15 PM	The group I'm currently playing in have been considering the use of an Action Point system ever since UA came out. With the Eberron sourcebook out the system presented seems pretty neat n' tidy . . . but it doesn't allow for the use of Action Points to effect hit-point rolls. In the homebrew system we're currently using, we get 1-4 Pool Points relative to each character's total ability modifiers. Characters with lots of higher stats get less than those with lower stats, which sorta balances this out a little. They refresh every session, and can be used to add the result of a d6 roll to any d20 roll, as the Action Point system. However, they can also be burned permanently to either re-roll a d20 roll, or to gain maximum hit points at levelling up after a poor roll. These latter uses are pretty powerful, but burning a Point permanently - i.e. reducing your Pool to one less permanently - is a big thing. As such, we quite like the idea of using such a point system to effect hit point rolls . . . nothing sucks like a big, tough, hairy, burly Fighter who's crap in a fight due to poor hit point rolls. And so, I was thinking . . . using the Action Point system outlines in the Eberron setting, could you use Action Points to increase your hit-point roll on a one-to-one basis up to your HD? So, a Fighter makes it to 6th level. In doing so, he gets 6 Action Points ( I'm not sure if that number is correct, don't have the book here so am plucking it out of the sky . . . ) that he can use at any time this level. He rolls hit points . . . and rolls a 2 on 1d10. Could he then use, say, 4 of those points to up this to 6 . . . leaving him but 2 points for the rest of the level . . ? Is this balanced? Obviously, it's gonna be a little different for d4 Wizards and d12 Barbarians . . . but then again, hit points are a more important mechanic to Barbarian characters than they are to Wizard characters. It's easy to burn AP's to get your hit points up when you level up, but if you do so you're taking much from the versatility they give you for the rest of that level . . . and as you get to higher level, you get more AP's per level, making it more attractive to burn them for better hit points . . . but then again, at higher level, there are many more 'save or die' situations where you're gonna be needing them . . . . . . so, any thoughts? Would this be balanced . . ? :dice: :dice: :dice:
eRaz0r 09-09-04, 08:30 PM	Whatever works for you, I guess. Some people just hate having to roll hps and go with average, some groups with Max (weird, huh?) and I recently heard of someone flipping a coin for max, or having a DM's secret roll you could take if you thought your roll sucked (but if it was worse, C'est la vie, you're stuck with it). All of those are interesting ways of generating hps each level. In this specific case, the reasons I'd tend to say "no" are as follows : 1/ Action points are meant to represent single moments of heroism your character can display. Adding them to hps rolled each level is neither a single act, nor particularly heroic. 2/ The benefit of an Action Point is a momentary thing. Rolling hps will last you throughout your whole career - a permanent benefit. There's no one who won't take this opportunity. 3/ Generally one must decide to add an action point roll to the d20 before determining the success or failure of the roll. So if you roll 1d20 to hit someone, you see the result and before rolling miss chance etc, decide to add the AP. Unfortunately, with hps, the roll *is* the result. Allowing someone to roll their HD and then decide to roll an extra 1d6 (or whatever) after they see their crappy roll is giving the AP more power than it's intended. But it's your campaign - go to it.
Splendide 09-09-04, 08:34 PM	My play group uses the `coins' method. instead of a d6, we use 3d2 instead of a d8, we use 4d2 instead of a d10, we use 5d2 and so on. Using action points on hit die rolls seems a bit more broken, as gaining hit points isn't any sort of action at all.
mandingo 09-10-04, 12:38 AM	We just use the max first level and 75% from then on.
JBW 09-10-04, 02:07 AM	For HPs, I've always used a homebrew of "roll the die, minimum result is one-half of the maximum value of the die." This gives the following averages: d4 = 2.75 HP/die d6 = 4 HP/die d8 = 5.25 HP/die d10 = 6.5 HP/die d12 = 7.75 HP/die Sure, this does tend to favor the classes with the higher HD type, but IMO, most of those classes could really use an extra little boost. Jay