Question about Action Points [Archive] - Wizards Community

Question about Action Points [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
jwalter
02-18-04, 10:50 AM Under the section for Action Points it says stating 1st level characters get 5 action points. And if you start above 1st level you get 5 + 1/2 character level in action points which is also the same if you introduce this variant rule into an existing campaign.

My question though is with the number of APs you get every level. The book says you get 5 + 1/2 your new level. Does this seem like a lot per level? I mean a PC who went from 1st to 3rd level and only used half (rounded down) of their APs gained at each level would have about 9 APs built up in reserve by 3rd level. Is this too much?
DJCupboard
02-18-04, 10:56 AM I think (but not sure) that the AP values at each level replace the value from the level prior, rather than stacking. So at 3rd level you would have 6 ap, not 17 (5 +6 +6). But research it more rather than taking my word for it.

~DJCupboard~
TwoSix26
02-18-04, 11:07 AM In d20 modern, where the action point system came from, the actions points are cumulative. You could easily have several hundred by 20th level if you never spent them. Of course, by not using action points, how many times have you put yourself at greater risk? Action points are a slight power up, of course. UA does have rules for treating them as one-use magic items if you're really worried about the increased power.
stone_dog
02-18-04, 11:24 AM UA doesn't actually say what happens to your old ones when you level up. The book suggests that if you are uncomfortable with this amount of power, just lower the treasure gained by the character by APx100 gp.

Personally I think that is a bit much work, so I am going the route that Eberron uses for its optional action points. At maximum you can only have the amount your current level allows. If you don't spend any they don't roll over into the next level so all 4th level characters have 7 AP regardless of how many they did or did not spend.

HOWEVER, there are some rules in a seperate sourcebook (http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/Personality.pdf) that allow you to gain back AP with specific roleplaying. I plan on using those as well. They work a bit like Nature in the White Wolf Storyteller system.
Kheti sa-Menik
02-19-04, 07:08 AM Speaking as someone who recently started playing in a D20 Modern campaign, I can say action points are a resource that you will definitely use if it is available.

I had a bad session last week..the dice were against me...no higher than a 7 on 15 D20 roles...horrible...and spending that action point is the only thing that saved my character's life. Some characters didn't spend any, some spent half their cumulated points.
Alaina
02-21-04, 05:47 PM Originally posted by jwalter Is this too much? No.
(coughs)

Action Points seem a D20 version of an old school option from Dragon magazine called Hero Points. The idea with these was you got one for every class level you had, could add them to any die roll BEFORE you rolled it, but then got them back after resting for 24 hours.

(At least I think thats how they went, I'm sure someone will correct me if I didn't get it EXACTLY right.)

Anywho. The beauty of the Action Point system, as presented in UA, is that players get to use them AFTER they make a roll.
But to balance this, again, once a point is used, its gone.

These days most of the monsters seem "powered up" from their 1st or 2nd ed counterparts and have become meaner and nastier. Even if you think otherwise, a party are going through an average of 1.5 modules/adventures per level, will be at fighting at least 1 BBG and 3-4 other BFM's so I'd think that players would HAVE to use them to save their skins.

Case in point: out group of 6, 6 level characters is going through the Dungeon magazine's Cauldron series and in the course of one evening we fought:
1) a stone giant
2) a small red dragon
3) a hyrdra that had a cold attack

If we had had UA back then, its safe to say that every player would have spent at least an action point or two, resulting in most of them being gone by the end of the adventure, as was probably designed.

The number of Action Points is fine, allowing players some bad rolling insurance while eaily letting the game have heroic moments. Keep 'em the way they are in the book.
Zaebos
02-22-04, 05:48 PM AP's come from a variety of sources, the one who did it first with d20 rules would be Starwars and the Force Point system, just an FYI.

AP's seem to balance themselves out, characters should use them up. But if you feel that it is too much to carry over unused action points, you would be well within the DM rights to say that what ever action points you have left over from the previous level, you loose and gain 5+1/2 character level at the new level.

Even so, I have only incorporated action points because my players are fairly inexperianced and need all the help they can get. But this also means that AP's apply to my NPC's as well :)
Ranger REG
02-22-04, 08:00 PM Originally posted by Zaebos

AP's come from a variety of sources, the one who did it first with d20 rules would be Starwars and the Force Point system, just an FYI.
Sorry, but the idea of action point come from sources way before Star Wars d20. Anyone who plays other games in this RPG hobby might recognize it in Alternity, LUG's Star Trek, FASA's MechWarrior, Marvel Super-Heroes (before that SAGA crap), etc., in one form or another but created for one purpose: to give PC a boost in their most crucial task rolls.
Zaebos
02-22-04, 08:50 PM Ugh... people on these boards do not READ

I said the FIRST D20 system to utilize this system was starwars.

D20 system
D20 system
D20 system
D20 system
D20 system

get the picture, GOOD!
samsael
02-23-04, 12:13 AM It was also used in Players Option: Skill and Powers (Character points left over after character creation and gained from experience were used to modify die rolls) and Story Teller (willpower can be spent to gain an automatic success on any roll).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
jwalter 02-18-04, 10:50 AM	Under the section for Action Points it says stating 1st level characters get 5 action points. And if you start above 1st level you get 5 + 1/2 character level in action points which is also the same if you introduce this variant rule into an existing campaign. My question though is with the number of APs you get every level. The book says you get 5 + 1/2 your new level. Does this seem like a lot per level? I mean a PC who went from 1st to 3rd level and only used half (rounded down) of their APs gained at each level would have about 9 APs built up in reserve by 3rd level. Is this too much?
DJCupboard 02-18-04, 10:56 AM	I think (but not sure) that the AP values at each level replace the value from the level prior, rather than stacking. So at 3rd level you would have 6 ap, not 17 (5 +6 +6). But research it more rather than taking my word for it. ~DJCupboard~
TwoSix26 02-18-04, 11:07 AM	In d20 modern, where the action point system came from, the actions points are cumulative. You could easily have several hundred by 20th level if you never spent them. Of course, by not using action points, how many times have you put yourself at greater risk? Action points are a slight power up, of course. UA does have rules for treating them as one-use magic items if you're really worried about the increased power.
stone_dog 02-18-04, 11:24 AM	UA doesn't actually say what happens to your old ones when you level up. The book suggests that if you are uncomfortable with this amount of power, just lower the treasure gained by the character by APx100 gp. Personally I think that is a bit much work, so I am going the route that Eberron uses for its optional action points. At maximum you can only have the amount your current level allows. If you don't spend any they don't roll over into the next level so all 4th level characters have 7 AP regardless of how many they did or did not spend. HOWEVER, there are some rules in a seperate sourcebook (http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/Personality.pdf) that allow you to gain back AP with specific roleplaying. I plan on using those as well. They work a bit like Nature in the White Wolf Storyteller system.
Kheti sa-Menik 02-19-04, 07:08 AM	Speaking as someone who recently started playing in a D20 Modern campaign, I can say action points are a resource that you will definitely use if it is available. I had a bad session last week..the dice were against me...no higher than a 7 on 15 D20 roles...horrible...and spending that action point is the only thing that saved my character's life. Some characters didn't spend any, some spent half their cumulated points.
Alaina 02-21-04, 05:47 PM	Originally posted by jwalter Is this too much? No. (coughs) Action Points seem a D20 version of an old school option from Dragon magazine called Hero Points. The idea with these was you got one for every class level you had, could add them to any die roll BEFORE you rolled it, but then got them back after resting for 24 hours. (At least I think thats how they went, I'm sure someone will correct me if I didn't get it EXACTLY right.) Anywho. The beauty of the Action Point system, as presented in UA, is that players get to use them AFTER they make a roll. But to balance this, again, once a point is used, its gone. These days most of the monsters seem "powered up" from their 1st or 2nd ed counterparts and have become meaner and nastier. Even if you think otherwise, a party are going through an average of 1.5 modules/adventures per level, will be at fighting at least 1 BBG and 3-4 other BFM's so I'd think that players would HAVE to use them to save their skins. Case in point: out group of 6, 6 level characters is going through the Dungeon magazine's Cauldron series and in the course of one evening we fought: 1) a stone giant 2) a small red dragon 3) a hyrdra that had a cold attack If we had had UA back then, its safe to say that every player would have spent at least an action point or two, resulting in most of them being gone by the end of the adventure, as was probably designed. The number of Action Points is fine, allowing players some bad rolling insurance while eaily letting the game have heroic moments. Keep 'em the way they are in the book.
Zaebos 02-22-04, 05:48 PM	AP's come from a variety of sources, the one who did it first with d20 rules would be Starwars and the Force Point system, just an FYI. AP's seem to balance themselves out, characters should use them up. But if you feel that it is too much to carry over unused action points, you would be well within the DM rights to say that what ever action points you have left over from the previous level, you loose and gain 5+1/2 character level at the new level. Even so, I have only incorporated action points because my players are fairly inexperianced and need all the help they can get. But this also means that AP's apply to my NPC's as well :)
Ranger REG 02-22-04, 08:00 PM	Originally posted by Zaebos AP's come from a variety of sources, the one who did it first with d20 rules would be Starwars and the Force Point system, just an FYI. Sorry, but the idea of action point come from sources way before Star Wars d20. Anyone who plays other games in this RPG hobby might recognize it in Alternity, LUG's Star Trek, FASA's MechWarrior, Marvel Super-Heroes (before that SAGA crap), etc., in one form or another but created for one purpose: to give PC a boost in their most crucial task rolls.
Zaebos 02-22-04, 08:50 PM	Ugh... people on these boards do not READ I said the FIRST D20 system to utilize this system was starwars. D20 system D20 system D20 system D20 system D20 system get the picture, GOOD!
samsael 02-23-04, 12:13 AM	It was also used in Players Option: Skill and Powers (Character points left over after character creation and gained from experience were used to modify die rolls) and Story Teller (willpower can be spent to gain an automatic success on any roll).