Action Points

The Action Point system in Epic Path is carefully designed to allow players to 'fight back' against a run of bad luck. Yes, random results of d20 rolls are integral to the game, but there are times when players will really, REALLY, want a particular roll to go well. Action points allow any player to re-roll a bad die roll at any time during combat.

Even better, as the round count wears on, Action Points can be used for other useful buffs and boosts, so read on below!

Note: Action Points are only available during combat or, if the GM allows, during a skill challenge. The players (and possibly monsters) receive their allocation of Action Points when a combat is initiated, IE, while an initiative count is active. Even if there are Action Points available on a daily basis (see optional rules below) they may not be used outside of combat (or maybe a skill challenge). The GM adjudicates all use of Action Points, and as always, they may allow or disallow anything they wish. So if the GM says you can use one, use it!

Basic Action Points

Player characters are eligible to receive 1 action point at the start of each combat. This action point may be used at any time during the player's turn, with varying uses depending on the round of combat in which it is used.

During a combat, PC's and GM's who spend action points must clearly state how they are spending their action points, to distinguish them from their normal actions during that turn. Any base action point which is not spent during the combat in which it is earned is lost. Use it, or lose it! Action points which are earned outside of combat persist until they are expended.

If there is a surprise round, you may use an action point during the surprise round if you wish, but you may only use the first two applications of action points detailed below. A surprise round does NOT count as advancing the round number for the combat. Effectively, a surprise round, if present, is counted as round zero.

Spending an action point grants one (and only one) of the following effects:

Any Round

• Heroic Surge: During any round of combat, an action point may be used to add 1d6+1 to a just-rolled d20 result (without rerolling). This must be done before the roll's result is resolved, and in no case does the bonus provided by the 1d6+1 constitute a 'natural' result, meaning that the bonus cannot result in a critical threat.

• Heroic Resurgence: During any round of combat, an action point may be used to reroll any d20 roll and add 1d6+1. This must be done before the roll's result is resolved, and in no case does the bonus provided by the 1d6+1 constitute a "natural" result, meaning that the bonus cannot result in a critical threat. This is the only common way to 'negate' a Natural 1.

• Heroic Defiance: During any round of combat, as long as your current hit point total is above your bloodied hit point value (half of your maximum hit points, rounded down), you can expend an action point as a free action during your turn to enact Defiance upon yourself. Until the start of your next turn, you cannot be reduced below your Bloodied Hit Point value by damage you sustain. You suffer damage as normal up until you reach your Bloodied Hit Point value, after which all damage is ignored. At the start of your next turn, this effect ends, and any damage you incur after this point is resolved as normal (and can reduce you below your Bloodied Hit Point value). Defiance can only be activated during your turn, and always lasts until the start of your next turn. Note that the 'start of your next turn' occurs at your initiative tick in the initiative order, even if you choose to hold your action. Thus, holding your action does not delay when the 'start of your next turn' occurs. Defiance does not prevent or reduce any status conditions or other negative effects, other than hit point damage.

• Heroic Last Stand: During any round of combat, if your current hit point total is at or below your Bloodied Hit Point value (half your maximum hit points, rounded down), you can expend an action point as a free action during your turn to enact Last Stand upon yourself. Until the start of your next turn, you cannot be reduced below 1 hit point by damage you sustain. You suffer damage as normal up until you are reduced to 1 hit point, after which all additional damage is ignored. At the start of your next turn, this effect ends, and any damage you incur after this point is resolved as normal (and can reduce you below 1 hit point). Last Stand can only be activated during your turn, and always lasts until the start of your next turn. Note that the 'start of your next turn' occurs at your initiative tick in the initiative order, even if you choose to hold your action. Thus, holding your action does not delay when the 'start of your next turn' occurs. Last Stand does not prevent or reduce any status conditions or other negative effects, other than hit point damage.

2nd Round or Later

• Heroic Fervor: On the second or later rounds of combat, an action point may be spent to take a move action or a 5-foot step as a free action. This move action may be traded down to a swift action, if you choose.

3rd Round or Later

• Heroic Effort: On the third or later rounds of combat, an action point may be used to take a standard action as a free action. As with any standard action, this may be traded down to a move or even a swift action if you choose. Standard actions from action points can be combined with a move action to grant a full-attack action. Furthermore, actions taken with an action point on the 3rd or later round are treated as though they are part of their own mini-round, meaning that attacks or actions which are normally only allowable once per round (e.g. cleave or charge) can be performed again with this standard action.

In the event that you have 2 action points available to you in a given combat, you may only use 1 action point per round.

Monsters With Action Points

Some monsters, mainly those with roles (threat, heavy, etc.), begin an encounter with one or more action points. Monsters follow different rules for action points than player-characters, but there are some similarities, as well:

• As with PCs, spending an action point is a free action that can only be performed during the monster's turn.
• As with PCs, monsters may never use more than one action point per round.

A monster may spend an action point to gain one of the following benefits:

• Gain a standard action, regardless of what round of combat the action point is spent (instead of requiring that the encounter be in the third round or later). If the GM wishes, this standard action may be traded down to a move action, swift action, or bonus 5-foot step (but only one of these), in lieu of performing the standard action.

• This may not be done during a surprise round, unless the monster's bestiary entry specifically states otherwise.

• Declare a d20 roll they just made was a 20, instead of what they actually rolled. This use of an action point can never result in a critical hit by the monster, nor may it be used to confirm a critical hit.
• Remove a condition on themselves. A 'condition' is defined as any non-instantaneous harmful effect applied to the monster, other than damage, but is most commonly a defined Status Conditions (but it doesn't have to be). Statuses related to damage (such as injured, bloodied, staggered, dying, or dead) are not 'conditions', and cannot be removed with this use of an action point.

Some monsters may have other uses for an action point, but those uses will be described on their bestiary page. If a specific monster ability conflicts with any rules here, the monster's ability, being more specific, should be considered the correct rule for that monster.

Adjusting Campaign Difficulty with Action Points

Epic Path assumes that referees have a table of experienced players of D20 games, and is balanced to provide plenty of challenge to such players. We recognize that this might not describe all games, and so the game supports many ways to adjust difficulty. If you have a table of fun-loving dreamers and minstrels who have almost zero interest in combat effectiveness, do not worry! Epic Path can support that table of players just fine.

The principal mechanism to adjust the difficulty of Epic Path is by setting the Campaign Power Level when characters are being generated. However, we're all human and make mistakes, so it is possible for referees to find that the difficulty they were shooting for just isn't working out. In such cases, rather than making the players re-roll their characters, it is possible to 'fine-tune' the difficulty by using the action point system.

There are several recommended difficulty levels possible through the use of Action Points, as laid out below:

• Pure Roleplay Mode: Players get an Action Point every round.
• Easy Mode: Players get two Action Points per encounter.
• A Little Nudge: Players get one Action Point per encounter, plus one extra Action Point per day.
• Normal: Players get one Action Point per encounter (this is the recommended 'default' setting).
• Making it Tough: Players only get one Action Point per day.
• Hard Mode: Players don't get Action Points at all!
• Deathmatch Mode: Players don't get Action Points, but some Monsters do! This keeps things interesting.
• NIGHTMARE: Players don't get Action Points, but all monsters do! Approach with caution!

Expanded Action Points

The base usage for an Action point is Acting, which makes your actions more effective, or, gives you more actions. In most campaigns, that effect is plenty! However, depending upon the party, or the whims of the GM, other action point uses are available.

Note: All uses of Action Points below are Optional! DM's may institute any or all of the Expanded Action Points as they wish, depending upon their campaign needs.

• Heroic Vitality: The first optional use of an Action Point is to give a character a quick burst of healing. This may be instituted when the party has chosen not to have ANY healers, or when the GM is running an especially murderous campaign. When you use an action point for Curing, you receive the following effect, depending on the round in which it is used:

• First round: Spend the Action Point and gain hit points as instantaneous healing equal to your Con Modifier, minimum 1
• Second round: Spend the Action Point and gain hit points as instantaneous healing equal to your Con Stat plus your Con Modifier, minimum 10.
• Third and later rounds: Spend the Action Point and receive hit points as instantaneous healing equal to your Bloodied value.

• Heroic Blitz: This use of Action Points is useful when you have no strong damage dealing melee characters in your party, or lack offensive buffs, or both. Note that Blitz has no effect on spells. When you spend an Action Point to Blitz, you receive the following effect, depending on the round in which it is used:

• First Round: Spend the Action Point and gain an untyped +3 bonus to hit on all attacks you make in the first round.
• Second Round: Spend the Action Point and gain an untyped +3 bonus to-hit and +3 bonus on damage on all attacks you make in the second round.
• Third Round and later: Spend the Action Point and gain an untyped +5 bonus to-hit on all attacks and damage you do for the remainder of the encounter.

• Heroic Safeguarding: This use of Action Points is useful for when you have no highly durable 'tank' type characters to soak up attacks. When you spend an Action Point to Safeguard, you receive the following effect, depending on the round in which it is used:

• First Round: Spend the Action Point and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Armor Class and all Saving Throws until the end of the encounter.
• Second Round: Spend the Action point and gain a +3 circumstance bonus to Armor Class and all Saving Throws until the end of the encounter.
• Third Round and later: Spend the Action Point and receive a +5 circumstance bonus to Armor Class and all Saving Throws, and they gain DR/- and ER/- equal to the Campaign Level until the end of the encounter.

• Heroic Momentum: This use of Action Points is useful for when you have no characters with battlefield control abilities. When you spend an Action Point to Sashay, you receive the following effect, depending on the round in which it is used:

• First Round: Spend the Action point, and any 5-foot steps you take in the first round gain an extra five feet of non-provoking movement.
• Second Round: Spend the Action Point and any movement you make in any legal movement mode you possess does not provoke attacks of opportunity until the end of your current turn.
• Third Round and later: Spend the Action Point and any movement you make in any legal movement mode you possess does not provoke attacks of opportunity for the rest of the encounter.