[3.5] Buying Action Points for taint?

[Ernir]

Hi. I am in the process of creating a mini-setting for my group.

One of its features is that the alignment system will be replaced by taint (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/taint.htm).
Another rule I will be using is the one of Action Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm). I, as the DM would be handing out a limited number of APs at fitting points in the campaign. Generally, they would be a more scarce resource than assumed in the standard variant.

And it got me thinking. How about being able to buy more action points by accepting taint?

I am not worried about the fluff, that one I am in the process of writing (uttering foul curses in times of need can get you the help you want... at a terrible price, yaddayadda). What I am worried about is how this will affect game balance.

So, what I am asking is:
How could I implement this in a way so that this is just an option? I would not want players to think of this as a non-option due to the taint penalties (aside from it turning you into a rotten and rotting ebil bastard), and neither would I want everyone loading on the taint in exchange for Unlimited Power(TM).
Or is this AP-for-taint idea just fundamentally game-breaking and/or stupid? :smalltongue:

Right now, I was thinking something along the lines of gaining one or two APs per level up, and being able to buy APs for Taint points on a one-to-one basis. Does that sound good?

I would obviously limit player's ways to yo-yo their taint scores.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

There's a good way to compare the power of these two things:

An action point is roughly equivalent to a magic item worth 100 gp per character level (since the higher a character’s level, the more potent the effect).

Some natural substances absorb taint and thus protect those who are exposed to carry them ... Regardless of the shape or substance of the item, taint-absorbing items cost 100 gp each.
As an item absorbs taint, it darkens, softens, and gradually rots away over seven days

So, a 100gp item of some sort can absorb seven day's worth of taint (likely to be a few points), and an Action Point is a 100gp x character level item.
(I'm not suggesting that you PCs are going to absorb the taint you're dishing out, just using these monetary values for comparison.)
Seems to me that Action Points are worth more than taint.

Maybe, given that taint really messes you up when the score gets above a certain number, you just make it 2 taint for 1 AP. I'm assuming from your post that you'll only let taint be swapped for AP that is immediately used?

[Ernir]

There's a good way to compare the power of these two things:
Ah. Gold. Always the best way to figure out how valuable things are. :smalltongue:

Scaling might even be the best way to do this. Should, in a Evil-Doesn't-Pay kind of way, make sense that as you fall deeper into the taint, you need to reach deeper and deeper in order to gain the benefit.

(And yes, this would be for immediate benefit. Cashing in on taint days or years in advance is not what I had in mind.)

Thanks. Should be much easier to compare now that you have pointed out the gold standard. :smallbiggrin:

[Draz74]

This is a pretty cool idea. I might have to put something similar to this into my system. (Since I'm already doing the replace-alignment-with-Taint thing.) Thanks! :smallcool: