Fate Point House Rules: Need Advice

[Anonymous]

I'm considering letting my players use their fate points for the following benefits, in addition to the core rules.

3 FP = 1 free bonus feat at 1st level; after 1st level, the feat must be paid for with 1d3 months training in suitable location under instructor at a cost of 1d3x100 sp/month. Buying additional feats with fate points increases the FP cost; say 5 FP for a second bonus feat, 7 FP for a third, and 10 for a fourth.

2 FP = Makes any one cross-class skill a class skill, regardless of your class.

1 FP = 1 free rank in any one current class skill of your choice. Each skill may only gain 1 free rank in this way.

1 FP = Single use of a general feat you do not have (nor even meet the prereq's for, within GM's reason); duration = 3 rounds + appropriate stat modifier.

1 FP = +1 morale bonus attack, damage, skill checks and saving throws for 3 rounds + CHA mod.

 

[rook111]

The last two options sound ok to me but the others are a bit too much in that they add a permanant feat, skill or rank in a skill for the cost of what are basicly an in game mechanic designed to give limited aid to a character at relitivly no cost to the character.

I have found that when it is needed to give feats or skill bonuses to characters the best way is to either create a system to complement the toe core level system , say an exp cost of 250 pts for an extra skill point or 500 - 1000 exp for a feat or and I prefer this method myself, give these thingsa as awards in place of magic or treasure or just because it makes for a good addition to a character for the story telling aspect.

Just my 2 copper pieces.

 

[Anonymous]

My personal answer would be that it'd depend on how free you are with your Fate Points.

If you're pretty liberal with giving them out to players then i'd lean away from allowing permanent stat/feat/skill enhancements in return for a Fate Point. If you make the players do really heroic feats of life and death to get one back then it might well fit.

The last two fit fairly well, i'd almost be tempted to up the bonus on the final one but I'd have to test it in play to be sure.

The main advice I could give you about Fate Points is 'go with the flow'. They're not really intended to be there for number-crunching, they're there to let players push the story in ways that are important to them, live a bit longer or be a true hero in an epic battle.

 

[Anonymous]

I put them through three mass battles (two in which they ended up facing and defeating four times their number in a life or death, no fudging die rolls massacre that nearly spelled a Total Party Kill). When I offered to give them each two fate points and 2000 XP (max per Conan RPG GM guidelines), they took the XP without hesitation but said they should only get 1 FP each if I was going to let them cash 3 in for a bonus feat, knowing I would charge them more than 3 FP for additional bonus feats.

Between luck, skill and brains, they managed to accomplish the two main goals I had set for them. 1: Travel from Shem to Zamboula (they had a major fight along the way with desert nomads) to take service with the Satrap, and 2) meet and defeat a major Yoggite horde (Darfari barbarian 1). There were, at this point 11 (2 PCs, 9 NPCs, all level 1 soldiers save 2 nomads) vs. 45 Yoggites in two separate waves (with no way to heal in between fights, but enough time to regroup and put together a revised strategy). The first Yoggite swarm was comprised of 20 unarmored, and the second of 11 unarmored and 14 equally armored as the party. I had a contingency plan to save them if things went too badly, but they just managed to squeak by with 3 left standing (2 unhurt, but they had a position 20 ft up from which to fire arrows).

I figured that they earned their reward. It was a battle worthy of the mighty Cimmerian himself! Still, I only gave out one FP after reflecting on it. But they earned the 2000 XP. Maybe I should make them spend 500 XP in addition to the 3 FP to gain a bonus feat? Or maybe 1,00 XP? That would prevent them from quickly gaining 3rd level.

 

[Anonymous]

Another FP usage I thought of was the "instant K.O." just like in the stories.

1 FP=instant knock-out of any minor NPC. Duration: 3 minutes + 1 minute per point of Str mod.

2 FP=instant knock-out of any major NPC. Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round per point of Str mod.

3 FP=instant knock-out of any crucial NPC (subject to GM approval). Duration: 1 round.

 

[Anonymous]

The instant KO's could work well, though i'd also consider allowing 'one FP to defeat a dozen 'temple/city guards'. Just enough to get through the encounter and on to the next scene.

The problem with allowing the instant KO of major or critical NPCs is that your players can then kill them at their leisure (not very heroic but they might still be tempted).

Let us know how it works out?

 

[Anonymous]

The instant KO's could work well, though i'd also consider allowing 'one FP to defeat a dozen 'temple/city guards'. Just enough to get through the encounter and on to the next scene.

The problem with allowing the instant KO of major or critical NPCs is that your players can then kill them at their leisure (not very heroic but they might still be tempted).

Let us know how it works out?

That's true, and is a concern. I suppose major or critical NPCs could be knocked out, but not killed as an exception to the rule. The big bad guy gets K.O.'d, but a bunch of his followers or bodyguards arrive (if not already present) to threaten the PCs. I was thinking of the FP KO action as being to knock out a major threat to achieve some other action (stealing his gem, rescuing his prisoner, planting incriminating evidence, etc.), rather than creating an insta-kill. But that potential is there, so I will warn the players that any use of a 2-3 FP KO (for major/critical NPCs or even PCs) will also create a circumstance to prevent them from slaying their foe outright. The "instant K.O." is common enough in Conan (usually used against him, LOL) that I'd like a game mechanic to simulate it without destroying my plot.

Most of my players are extremely bloodthirsty sizing up every NPC as potential XP from their D&D days. They never let bad guys get away if they could help it, and bitched incessantly if they did escape. With the transition to Conan, and its "your XP award doesn't hinge on how many people you kill but on how well you adventure and achieve your goals", combined with the deadliness of combat, the players are slowly realizing it is in their best interest to let everyone who doesn't want to fight run away. That's one less potential sword through their ribs, just as Conan thought... Though they are still fond of shooting fleeing foes in the back with their Hyrkanian and Shemite bows...

I would expect them, as Conan would do, of slaying unconscious or dying foes out of hand as a reasonable precaution against fighting someone who refused to run away again (example of this from Howard's "Jewels of Gwahlur" given in Conan RPG). However, just as in "Jewels of Gwahlur", Conan is prevented from completing his decapitation of the foe, by the appearance of some new threat to him or his immediate allies. That allows the bad guy to reappear later, redirects the PCs away from completing a death blow to face a more imminent danger, and keeps the plot from derailing. Thoughts?