Choose Your Fate

One of the mechanics I like a lot from the Star Wars Saga Edition game is the destiny mechanics.  The Saga Edition rules allow for a player and GM to agree on a destiny for a character and then the character can use Destiny Points to help in achieving its destiny.  A Destiny Point can be spent to automatically get a critical hit, make another attack miss, change the initiative order, etc.  These effects are more powerful than those provided by Force Points, but a character also only earns a single Destiny Point each level.  In addition, each destiny grants bonuses for making progress and a penalty for doing something that moves a character away from its destiny.

I’ve recently decided to adapt those rules for use in my Dungeons & Dragons campaign.  I’ve asked each player to choose a destiny for his character.  Those bonus, player-driven adventure hooks should be great for adding subplots to the main plot of the campaign.

Unlike in Saga Edition, I don’t plan on automatically giving one Destiny Point each level.  Instead, the points will be given to characters when they make progress towards their destiny.  This could be multiple times per level or no new points for a couple levels, but my general goals is going to be to average around once per level for each character.

I wanted my D&D Destiny Points to be more powerful and dramatic than Action Points, so I’ve come up with several ways that they can be used:

• Destined Strike: Turn an attack roll where you miss into a hit.
• Power of Fate: Turn an attack roll where you hit into a critical hit.
• Destined to Live: Gain hp equal to your healing surge value as a reaction to being reduced to 0 hp.
• Fateful Dodge: Turn an attack roll where an enemy hit you into a miss.
• Clear Path: End any number of conditions affecting you.
• Unleashed Power: Increase the size of one of your power’s bursts or blasts by 2 spaces.
• Just the Right Situation: Gain a +10 bonus to an ability or skill check.

Right now, my players are still deciding on destinies for their characters, but I’m excited to start using them as both adventure seeds and a new game mechanic.