hobbygamers ~ View topic - Notch: Less than an Action Point, more than an XP

Old Dragon Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 577

So I just came back from my first 4e gaming session with Adrian and Adam this evening. It was fun, and I picked up a lot of stuff. The most interesting thing that I think would be a great fit for BT is the Notch mechanic.

The Notch, as implemented in Adrian's games:

Basically whenever you score a natural 20 on a die roll, you get a Notch. When you do something that impresses the DM AND your party members (whether with sheer awesomeness, creativity, intelligence, stupidity, or some combination of the above) the DM may also award you a Notch.

At any point in the session you can trade in a Notch to do the following:
- Raise the result of any die roll by 1.
- Purchase an Action Point.

Also, at the end of the session you may spend Notches to increase your XP reward by 10%, or to add 1 more treasure parcel to your haul.

I think that this mechanic would make a fun addition to our BT games, but with certain tweaks. Allowing people to keep Notches between sessions would, theoretically, allow someone to cash 10 Notches in for a 100% XP boost. And these would allow people to spam Tactical Warlord bonuses. So what tweaks do I suggest?
- You lose at the end of the session any unspent Notches.
- You can, at most, spend 1 Notch on XP gain OR 1 Notch on treasure parcels, but not both.
- 2 Notches = 1 Action Point.

Your thoughts?

A mechanics addition to BT. I like it. It gives the BT more unique feeling.

I however must ask one question. How do we relate this notch mechanics to BT? There is action points in Eberron because Eberron is an action-packed setting.

Old Dragon Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 577

4e has Action Points too.

I dislike this system. AP's are severely limited in 4e for a reason, and I don't think a notch system will work in a "combat-heavy, will-spam-whatever-we-can-spam style".

As for the other uses:
*raise the die roll by 1. Possibly okay, but it's a question of when you can add it. Before the roll? Right before the result is declared? After it is declared?
*XP gain: No. I will not sponsor accelerated xp, except for the purposes of catching up to the higher level guys. We stick to the book.
*Treasure Haul: No.
While the parcel/wishlist system is fine, the current problem with it right now is that treasures are "too predictable". Instead of letting the DM's be guided by the wishlists, they instead follow them to the letter. As a player, finding the exact thing the whole party wants to get 100% of the time removes a certain rp aspect.
Simply put, magically receiving more items will just add to that disbelief.

The mechanic is perfect for Adrian's games, which have a healthy dose of rp that balances out with the fights. That makes AP acquisition not too much of an issue. I'm saying it won't work in our style of play, which is, well, "shoot first, rp (maybe) later".

Old Dragon Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 577

Those are valid points, BJ. So maybe we can playtest the Notch mechanic for raising the result of die rolls first? If they catch on, we can try introducing other uses...

My suggestion for the timing is after the roll has been made. That way players who just *barely* missed a save or a hit can *try* to make it.

Playtesting is a good way of gauging its effects on the game.

Old Dragon Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 577

This is also a way to get more RPing out of people. Give them a Notch if you want to encourage their behavior, take it away if you don't.

Back in 3.5, some people rp'd when and only when they're short of a few xp to level up.

So there. I doubt it will encourage actual rp, just a few tidbits of it.

Old Dragon Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 577

If we take out the bonus XP gain aspect, then this will be just an incentive mechanism for good RPing or cleverness. Still, we can only speculate what will happen with this + the HGC players unless somebody playtests this. Who's willing to volunteer?

You'll have to convince the current BT DM's.

As for me, I'm not convinced. Maybe empirical data will make me change my mind, but for now I'm against it.

I like the small bonus. Sort of a mini D20 modern action point. I'd be willing to test it out over the sem break. But I don't think I can DM a game in the remaining days of the sem. If I can, I do want to explore the Hartland. There are a lot of possibilities that open up when the party enters mid-heroic.

I'm no good to it. Adding an additional mechanic makes it somehow.. unattractive.

By the looks of it, it behaves more like a morale sort-of bonus.

Which reminds of my idea for Battle Arena campaign: Morale bonus/penalty.

I vaguely recall a similar idea in a game (just can't recall what) where a player can always do something similar to a Notch. But every time a player does so, the GM gets a Notch to spend on his own creeps. Not that I think we should use that style, but it's an idea.

I'm seeing this as a toned down Force Point or D20Modern AP. Timing, I believe, can be at any time before any effects of the roll are applied, like the new Shield spell, or possibly Staff of Defense. The player can see the result, of his attack, save, or whatever, and then decide whether to spend the Notch or not.