Fate points

[Bloodshadows]

Fate Points, Force Points, Hero Points, Bennies.... call them what you will. Many systems have them to allow players a little more control over their character's fate. They can usually (but not in all systems) be used to increase or re-roll dice rolls, decrease or eliminate damage just taken, gain an advantage for that scene, do maximum damage for that action....

I'm coming back to Gurps after many years away and while I have 4th edition, I've not yet put it into action. Now the plan is to run a fantasy campaign with 4th ed. I'm going to be converting the Wilderlands of High Fantasy and Rappan Athuk Reloaded.

I've been playing games the past few years that have some sort of Point system that allow characters to be more cinematic. Conan, Mutants & Masterminds, Savage Worlds, even D&D has an option for it. So I was considering trying it for Gurps, but since it's been so long since I've played Gurps I was wondering if it's necessary. I know Luck handles that role for the most part and if I wanted I could make it a setting rule that all PCs have Luck.

I was just curious if anyone else had considered the Fate point thing or was using it in their campaigns.

Thanks,

Mike

[DrTemp]

Well, you can use CP to influence dice rolls. It's an optional rule, but it's there. See p. B347

[zorg]

There's also a Pyramid by Chad Underkoffler on "CP!", which is actually similiar to what DrTemp referred to.

I don't usually use this option, but I have it earmarked for a cinematic high-action setting (in which my players aren't interested, however).

[RedMattis]

If the Fate Points would allow you to automaticaly succeed with an action, then it would be like a very limmited version of Super Luck. I'd say something like 1/2 of the value, since you can't decide that it will be a critical success and dictade a skill roll - but still has the abillity to nullify damage (flesh wound). You can't use it more than once per meeting (I assume), so that cuts the value to about half again.

What you end up with is the abillity to re-roll a failed dice, nullify or drasticaly decrease damage - something wish is a bit of a Deus ex Machina advantage.
Alowing it to add a + to a roll if you declare it before you roll, or something of the like seems quite balanced too.

Fate Points 25p/level
Usable to re-roll a failed dice/add a + mod to the roll/nullify or decrease damage. The ability is only useable once per meeting.

An abillity wish let's you gain a temporary advantage is almost completely inpossible to price though. The only way I could think of would be via the use of a very limmited Cosmic Modular abillities.

[Bloodshadows]

Thanks guys! That's the sort of thing I was looking for. Not sure if I'll actually put them into play but it's good to know the option is there.

[Kyle Aaron]

When I've run GURPS, the players have varied a lot in whether they wanted things to be cinematic or realistic. So I put the power of the cinematic in their hands - they could spend 1 CP to move a die roll result a step along, from critical failure to failure, from failure to success, from success to critical success - and multiple times on the one roll if they wanted to. They could also spend CP after any combat to halve any one wound, or reduce it a level of effect, eg permanent crippling to lasting, lasting to temporary. They could also send CP for a one-off use of the Serendipity or Gizmos Advantage.

I found the way they spent it varied. Some players used CP quite a lot, to look impressive. Others just used it to save limbs and lives, and prevent utter defeat. Others wouldn't use them even then.

But each player had the power to decide how cinematic the game would be for them, and they were all happy with that aspect of the campaigns.

[Lan]

We used a system called Luck Points. If you get a critical success on an important roll you get a Luck Point. The roll has to be a roll with conquences, i.e. failure would result in something bad.
The points could be spent to change the level of a roll similar to what Jim Bob uses, 1 point per level. Crit failure -> failure -> success -> crit success. You call it out after a roll if you really need to make a roll. "I'm going to use two luck points to change the failure to a critical success" Works great when firing that AT-4 at a ZSU 23-4 Shilka while your M1A1 is getting a 23mm polishing.

[sgtcallistan]

Mine were called 'hero points after the old star wars ones. They existed as handwritten unique cards to be played, and each character got one at the beginning of the game session.
The use was like a wish spell; play the card, state the effect (two clauses, one word 'and') and this would come to pass.
'Grab the girls and get them back to the ship' was one; heroic, successful, an action sequence where the character go to shine, and fortunately the autodoc could save him from the three shots he took.
As other posts have suggested, some players loved this, some thought it hogging the spotlight (they usually tried to hog the cards and never played them) and others found it silly.

It was a way to give players what they wanted, and was broadly successful.
We had to agree on a punishment clause, however. An action that was altruistic or benefitted the whole party was rewarded with another hero point. Selfish or abusive users did not get another card, but had to wait 'til the next session.

Thoughts?

[pnewman]

I'm using Plot points right now in my cinematic campaign, GURPS: Drums Along the Mohawk (1702 New York state, with alchemy - 175 points, all characters must take Luck) and they seem to work fairly well.

In my campaign plot points _only_ adjust the results of NPC actions. One point will turn a success into a failure, two will turn a critical success into a failure. They don't allow the characters to reroll their own failures, that's what their Luck is for. I also use a version of the TV Action Violence cinematic rule - a character can declare any ranged hit 'A Flesh Wound' that does one hit, and makes them loose their next tuen, but only once per combat.

Player characters start with 3 plot points, and gain 1 back every session. At the end of a major plot line (6 to 8 sessions or six months game time with no adventures) they'll get them all back. NPC's start with 0 plot points and gain 1 more for every full hundred points they're built on. I'm five sessions intot the campaign and last session was the first time a player used more than one per session. Ironically they waltzed through Huron gunfire more easily than they handled a barroom brawl. Since they were just punching, and not shooting their foes, it took many more hits to put the foes down, this gave their opponents many more chances to strike back.

[Rothe]

I am trying out a bit different gaming style than we normally do. Partly because of the style I am also using a luck point system to smooth things over.

The idea is that the game goes forward in scenes (like a movie) and we minimise any play in between scenes to streamline the game.
Every scene starts with a logical setup that I as a GM describe.

Now one use for the luck points is that the players may use a luck point to change the setup in regard to the player characters. Lets say that I describe a weird incident at night when the PCs are camping. I say that the players are unarmored. A player might now state that he is wearing his armor - spending one luck point. (a feudal japan setting)

Now, I'd only allow this is it makes logical sense. For example I would not allow it for a sleeping character, but a PC guarding the camp could do it.

Similarly if the players are faced with a difficult climb and the setup is that they have no rope, they could use a luck point to have a rope... Anything reasonable goes. This is just to get over the fact that players do not have opportunity (or have less of an opportunity) to specify their gear and actions between scenes.

The second use for the luck points is rerolling any rolls that the player has made. By spending one luck point, I allow two more rolls and the player can then choose which of the three he wants to use. Most of the time this gets rid of a critical hit against the character or a failed defence roll. I only allow this to work in defence of the player. If he wants to reroll an attack or an opponents defence roll, it costs 2 points. I also charge 5 points extra to reroll attacks (or opponent's defence rolls) against major NPC's (basically anyone created as a proper character).

I award one luck point after a session, and more for some accomplishments. Also, doing certain things may be lucky or even unlucky - adding or subtracting luck points.