Drama Points

Drama Points are the great equalizers between the Slayer and the Slayerettes. They are what keep Xander�s insides inside after some of the pummeling he�s taken over the years, and what allows Buffy�s mom to knock down Spike with one blow from an axe. Which is not to say Heroes don�t need them; nothing beats a Drama Point or two when you need to dust a half-dozen vamps in time to save the world.

A player has to announce her character is using a Drama Point during the Intentions phase of a Turn, or before rolling during non-combat situations. Drama Points can be used in several ways:

Heroic Feat: By spending a Drama Point, the character gets a +10 bonus on some value. This can be an attack or defense roll, or any use of a skill, or even for a Fear or Survival Test. The Heroic Feat can also make things hurt more; the +10 bonus is added to the base damage in addition to any Success Level bonuses (then armour, damage type and other modifiers are applied). Also, only one Heroic Feat may be performed in a Turn.

I Think I�m OK: For a mere Drama Point, half the Life Point damage (round down) the character has taken up to that point is healed up. I Think I�m Okay can be used only once per Turn, but it can be used several Turns in a row, each use halving whatever damage remains. If the character had suffered enough damage to be incapacitated or unconscious, however, healing does not necessarily awaken her. You decide if the time is right for the character to revive and join the action.

Example: If Jess, our White Hat from the Injury section, spent a Drama Point to aid her Consciousness Test, she would add + 10 to her base modifier, for a total of +3. So she could stay conscious and try to defend herself against the nasty, cross-burned vampire with a roll of six or better. An even better use of the Drama Point would be to halve the damage done immediately, reducing it from 51 to 25 pts. This leaves her in positive Life Point territory, lucky 13, negating the need for the tests at all! She�s still not "the hills are alive" fine, but able to hold on for now. Next Turn, she�ll be able to use another Drama Point to further reduce the damage from 25 pts to 12. Then ol� Cross-Face better watch out!

Plot Twist: Once per game session, each character can spend a Drama Point and get a "break." This is not a Get Out of Jail Free Card. If the heroine stupidly walked into a vampires� lair and she is surrounded by a horde of bloodsuckers, a Plot Twist won�t allow her to escape unscathed. If you decide that a Plot Twist is not possible, the player gets back the Drama Point.

Righteous Fury: By spending two Drama Points, the character gets a +5 bonus to all attack actions, including magical attacks, for the duration of the fight. These benefits are cumulative with Heroic Feats, above. Problem is, an appropriate provocation is necessary to invoke the Righteous Fury rule. A player can�t decide her character is pissed about the existence of vampires, or global warming, or even the mystery meatloaf they served at school that morning. She needs to be truly provoked.