HQ using an action point system?

[lorddax]

So looking again at the rule books for my HQP analysis I keep noticing that the rule book states:

Code: Select all

On Any Player’s Turn
Whether playing the role of Zargon or that of a Hero, a player does one of the following on his turn:
Moves his figure(s) and performs an action,
OR
Performs an action and moves his figure(s)

As a Hero, you may move and then perform an action, OR you may perform an action and then move. You may not, however, move part way, perform an action and then finish your movement. You may perform any one of the following actions.
ATTACK
CAST A SPELL (Wizard and Elf Only)
SEARCH FOR TREASURE
SEARCH FOR SECRET DOORS
SEARCH FOR TRAPS
DISARM A TRAP

Passing Items
A Hero can pass a potion, artifact, weapon or any other item to another Hero only if the 2 Heroes are in adjacent squares and neither Hero is adjacent to a monster.

Looking And Opening Doors
As a Hero, while moving, you may “look” down a corridor or through an open door. Looking gives you the opportunity to see what is directly within your line of sight, such as closed doors, blocked square spaces and monsters. Looking is NOT one of the 6 actions. On your turn, you may move adjacent to a closed door and ask Zargon to open it. Zargon will open the door by removing the closed door piece and replacing it with an open door piece. Opening a door is also NOT one of the 6 actions. Both “looking” and “opening doors” are simply considered to be additional things you may do on your turn.

Note: All doors start out closed. Once a door is opened, it can never be closed.

Important: Getting caught in a trap, drinking potions, passing items, and picking things up also do not count as actions. They can be done at anytime during your turn.


So all players have a Move action where they can move their movement dice and an Action action where they can do any of those listed things. Plus a few actions that don't take up part of their turn. This looks quite like another system that is in wide use.....

D&D4e: Move, Minor, Standard, Free.

Have any experienced GMs expanded the HQ action point system beyond the two points? Did you add any new actions or classifications? What are you feelings on a deeper AP system, expanding the game or making it more complicated?

[Patroclus]

I don’t like to add extra rules on the base system. Instead of that, I used to create special rooms, like moving walls, or poisonous gas, or anything based on the story of each quest.

But If I had to put more actions, I could add “Lock doors” where the hero will lock the door by rolling the dice to close the monsters inside. And the GM should throw the same roll to open it. For example, if dwarf closes a door by rolling a skull, the GM has to roll a skull to open it. But if a hero rolls a black shield, then the GM should roll a black shield to open it.

Other action could be the “defense stance” to add an extra 1 point to defense but immobilizes the hero, who loses his movement and attack for the round. But I am afraid that a heavy armored hero could be invulnerable with that rule.

The last action I could say is “running” where the hero could roll one extra dice of movement by wasting his attack.
Also, I could permit whatever action the player could ask, anytime on my games, as resting or whatever, but I will try to keep the balance high. For example, if a party asks me to let them rest in a room, I could say them that I will roll a dice and if I get a black shield they will lose the game and I’ll say “a goblin enters the room and kill you all while you are sleeping”.

[lorddax]

Resting in a dungeon...without a guard? Man my monsters do love easy meals!

[Patroclus]

If they want to have guard, I will let the guard to roll the dice for the black shield... Then he will fall asleep etc etc...

[lorddax]

LOL Your table should have the sign "Abandon all hope ye who sitteth here"

[cynthialee]

Resting without a guard is madness. Any fools that pull that bone headed manuever should not be upset when they wake up as a Zombie being played by the Game Master.


lol

[el_flesh]

We gave up all red die rolling some time ago. Our DM, Beernut replaced it first with 12 standard action points - then made it become more personal, as each race had a base action which was then modified depending on equipment.

[torilen]

actually - there are some schools of thought that say you should have at least one safe room
in a dungeon, depending on the size. Gives the heroes someplace to go back to and recoup,
rethink, and plan perhaps. Nothing wrong with that, as long as they don't take advantage of
it...use it only when needed. And there is nothing to say that it should not be hard to get
back to once they leave...that's always an option, but it is still there for them to use.

[lorddax]

A safe room is not a bad call, but I would totally but some seemingly innocuos item in it that make something happen, taking my inspiration from....



Might just make it a duck based effect too....

@El_flesh - 12AP for the team or per char?

[cynthialee]

There should be no safe place in a dungeon.

As it would require some game changes to introduce resting rules into the game I would handle it like I do in a standard issue TT game.
First I determine if there will be any encounters durring the rest period by wandering monsters/adventurers/beasts. Then I ask the players what is the watch order.
The first watch I do not tend to make a roll to determine if the sentury is likly to fall asleep. First watch is a piece of cake.
Second watch through the final watch there is a chance that a sentury will fall asleep.
For HQ purposes I would require the players to roll a white dice for each mind point they have plus a dice for every 5 quests they have been through. If the dice roll at least one black shield the sentury does not fall asleep. The reasoning is that it takes willpower to stay alert while on watch. Perhaps this hampers the Barbarian a little to much, so perhaps the rulling for the Barbarian is that he gets to roll a extra 2 dice due to his upbringing in the wilds.
If a watchman falls asleep on the job and there will be an encounter then someone is likely to die or get robbed blind. No roll for defence except for any armor bonus's should apply.