Action Point Cards (D&D 4e)

[Lord Omberous]

This is based off an idea tossed around on the WotC forums. The idea is to help encourage mroe roleplaying, which 4e does not do by having many social encounters run by dice. This is meant to encourage inter-party communication, as well as teamwork.

Essentially, you make some sort of cards with the characters' names on them (or leave them blank until the RPing happens, either way). I use index cards cut in half in TCG card slips. Then whenever the players interact well, reasonably, and in character with one another, you give them each action point cards for the other players. For example, if they're fighting stuff on a farm, and Morthos mentions his days a a farmboy, but how that led him to become a warlock, and then Regdar and Jozan respond with their reasons for becoming a fighter and cleric, and they talk a little about this in character, then Morthos' player gets cards for Regdar and Jozan, and Regdar's player receives them for Morthos and Jozan, and you can see where this is going.

A player can have as many APCs as they want, but they can only use one every session for each player's APCs they have. For example, if Mialee's player has 2 cards for Jozan and 1 for Morthos, then she can spend that one for Morthos and one of Jozan's, but not both of Jozan's.

When a player spends an APC, they give the character for whom that APC was designed an extra acton the next time their turn comes around. A particularly heroic example would be if Morthos, Jozan and Mialle are all dead or unconscious, and Regdar is the only one left standing. If all three of the other players use an APC for Regdar, he gets three extra actions next round, as the bittersweet memories of his fallen comrades drive him to strike the enemy relentlessly.

Comments? Ideas?

[Riva]

Pretty sweet. Obviously this is easily abusable, but lets assume a competent GM shall we?

Gives a mechanical benefit, which if used well, can also be explained with super cool in character fluff.

I support this. But perhaps a limit on how many recievable a session?

[Lord Omberous]

Pretty sweet. Obviously this is easily abusable, but lets assume a competent GM shall we?

Gives a mechanical benefit, which if used well, can also be explained with super cool in character fluff.

I support this. But perhaps a limit on how many recievable a session?Well, since the DM is not a computer going "SUFFICIENT ROLEPLAY HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. DISPENSING CARDS." If the players start trying to abuse it by randomly stupidly roleplaying, put a limit on it, or up the amount of real, serious roleplaying eeded to get one. I mean, it;s up to the DM, and the DM is there for both the benefits of the players and to keep the game balanced. There's no need for a real rule, per se; the DM just needs to do his job and set his own rules.

[Lord Omberous]

No other comments?

[DigoDragon]

That's an interesting idea. It's almost like treasure for good Role Playing which I would certainly encourage. Would there only be cards to grant an extra action, or could you vary the cards like having some that may give your fellow PC a bonus to some skill, attack, or damage roll?

[Lord Omberous]

That's an interesting idea. It's almost like treasure for good Role Playing which I would certainly encourage. Would there only be cards to grant an extra action, or could you vary the cards like having some that may give your fellow PC a bonus to some skill, attack, or damage roll?I was thinking just the extra action, but you could instead make it so that they have more verstile, if toned-down, functions like that.