Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cerberuspuppy Mar 13, 2011 20:35:24	I might be running a game this summer, and I am thinking of using a houserule variant on Action Points to make them function more like the Drama Dice from AEG's old 7th Sea RPG where you had extra dice that you could use when you needed a little boost to make sure that an important roll succeeded. You'd start with a small number of Drama Dice, and the GM would award you another when you did something really cool or just plain brazen, which really fit the swashbuckling and cinematic feel of the setting and system. Not only did the players have a tangible, useful, and instant reward for getting into the spirit of the game, but a skilled roleplayer could earn and use enough Drama Dice to literally have a more powerful character. In practice, that wasn't enough to be unbalancing, though I can understand concerns. It has been awhile, but I remember the mechanic as being helpful and making the game more fun. In D&D 4E, this might have the additional benefit of helping to close the gap between PC attacks and monster defenses that opens up in higher levels. Here is my first draft of the potential house rule, presented here for vetting: 1) Remove all RAW about how Action Points are gained, except that feats or powers that grant an Action Point instead grant three Action Dice. 2) All RAW (including feats, powers, etc) about how Action Points are spent remain the same, except that in order to "spend one Action Point" a player or monster must spend three Action Dice. 3) Any monster that has Action Points instead has three times as many Action Dice. 4) Each player's Action Dice reset to 3 at each new level, including 1st level, or with any new character. 5) A player or monster may spend one Action Die to add 1d6 to any roll. (I might have to exempt saves from this rule.)  6) Once per encounter, a player or monster may spend three Action Dice to gain one extra action. This counts for all the same rules as spending an Action Point, like the Action Surge feat. 7) A player gains one Action Die for doing something cool, daring, witty, clever, or highly effective, at the DM's discretion. A snappy one liner in character or a decisive action that turns the tide of battle are examples. 8) Each character role has an additional option for how to use an Action Die: a) Leaders can spend an action die on any player's roll, not just their own. b) Controllers can spend an action die to penalize a monster's roll, though not in the same round as they used one to improve their own roll. (see #10) c) Defenders can spend an action die to mark two monsters instead of one, with all specifics of that mark applying to both monsters. d) Strikers can spend two Action Dice per round, but at least one must be spent on an attack or damage roll. e) Some classes may have special rules on #8, like Hexblades have both the Striker and Controller abilities, and Druids have the controller ability, plus one other chosen at character creation? 9) Players or monsters may spend one Action Die as a minor action to add 1d6 to all their own defenses until the begining of their next turn. 10) Each player or monster cannot spend more than one Action Die per round, unless a rule specifically states otherwise, like #8d or #6. So, any thoughts? I'm most iffy on #8. I thought it might be a nice touch to give different classes or roles their own individual options, but that's expendable if it proves to be more trouble than it's worth.
#2 Damon_Tor Mar 14, 2011 3:12:53	That's pretty complicated bro. I've never been a fan of rewarding players with mechanical advantages for roleplaying, since in my experiance players who feel like they have to roleplay will roleplay often, but poorly, half-assing it for the rewards.  You don't want to force a playstyle on your guys.  Second, it effectively makes you the judge of your players' fun, which is not a good position to put yourself in. Also, all the little extra mechanics... eh.  Like, the defender bonus: sure he can mark an extra dude (and dude he can see? in range of his normal mark power?  What if his mark is built into an attack like the fighter, or always marks all enemies in range, like the Warden?) but he still can't (usually) enforce the mark on the second guy anyway. I'd say, cut yourself a break and let the action point system alone for a while.  The only houserule I use with the action point system is this: Action Points are Rule of Cool Fuel.  Player wants to do something cool, within reason, not allowed by the strictures of the rules?  Spend an action point to bend to rules.  Example: Rogue hits a big bad guy with her Dynamic Dagger +2 and uses an action point to use the dagger's power as a free action, which means she hit with it as a dagger, but damaged with it as a Fullblade... ie, she stabs him in the back, and a fullblade grows out of his gut.  Not legal, but awesome, so the Action Point fuels it. But I don't mess with how they gain action points.  It's just a bad idea IMO.
#3 johnnii Mar 14, 2011 3:43:45	Since this is almost how Force points works in Star Wars SAGA; 1/10 instances of action points expenditure you wish your APs worked like SAGAs force point. The rest of the time you like that extra action (and extra benefit depending on other abilities). When we play SAGA, it's the same but in reverse (unless the expenditure is used to recharge Force powers or boost an activated Force power that has a Special: you can spend a Force point to...) Just me and my groups experiences I do like Drama rewards though and use them myself with handing out APs (instead of per milestone) I take great care in not only rewarding roleplayers but those that make daring cinematic stunts and/or come up with clever ideas of solving a problem in-game. Simply put, rewards of real engagement in the action and story.
#4 cerberuspuppy Mar 14, 2011 19:28:27	Yeah, there's too much and I'll have to cut at least three if not five of those rules. I can understand the concerns about the rewarding mechanics, but I've seen it work well first hand in 7th Sea, and I can't think of why it wouldn't work in D&D 4E.
#5 Neutronium_Dragon Mar 15, 2011 21:42:56	TBH, you're probably better off to leave action points as-is and simply apply a +2 bonus to any action that's well-described, creative, or otherwise noteworthy. You get the same overall benefit without the complications and tracking.
#6 Houndstooth Mar 20, 2011 19:58:43	I like Neutronium Dragons idea od a +2 when a player roleplays a skill instead of just rolling a die, or describes an action instead of saying a powers name and that they got a 26 to hit... But I also agree that it may punish the shy player at the table who wants to have fun but feels left out while the other more outgoing players have +2 all the time to everything... I have just started using the Plot Twist deck in my game. A non random deck of cards that have first a mechanical benifit on them, but also four plot twists on them. I give these out as drama rewards or for scoring a crit on a daily things of that nature. I like them because it lets my players play them back at me, changing the game, but also a player who gets one can still share it with the party and they all get the benifit, even those who never role play and may get fewer.
#7 Neutronium_Dragon Mar 21, 2011 13:37:26	I wouldn't suggest giving +2 for every description - it has to be 'above and beyond' somehow; if the player normally has trouble with descriptions (shy, etc) then the bar for 'above and beyond' would be much lower. The idea is mainly that if the action is narratively dramatic and ends up as one of the defining moments in the scene/encounter, it gets the +2 - even if it isn't described at all but involves the character doing something unusual/creative. My other thought would be to give the character a Stroke of Luck as per the fortune cards: it won't change the current action's result but it'll let them influence some future roll in their favor.