Editing Energy Recovery

== Energize Your Combat! ==
 
Optional Rules Regarding Energy in Basic Action Super Heroes! 
One thing that people who play BASH! often house-rule is energy cost for using super powers.  In their opinion, powers using energy slows down the game.  The reason that the energy pool exists in the rules is not to slow down play—it is there to “balance” characters with a few, very strong powers against characters with several lesser powers.  It would not be fair to let a person with a Range 20 +4 DM energy blast fire it as often as someone with a Range 5 +1 DM energy blast!  Thus, the energy pool mechanic was introduced to help keep things fair. 

It was reasoned that characters would use the “rest” action to regain energy for more power use, or that when they ran low on energy they would switch to regular attacks.  If a character absolutely needed to use energy s/he did not have, it was always possible to “push” yourself. However, sometimes, the middle of combat is the worst time to rest, or you have already pushed yourself as far as you can.  What then? Also, the “rest” action works good for characters with high Brawn or Mind scores, but it leaves characters with high Agility scores panting at the end of the page…

== Option 1. Energy regained every page ==

Well, abandoning the energy use mechanic altogether would be one option, however, it would be un-balancing for the reason explained above.  Thus, as an optional rule (and one that I am using at my personal gaming table) characters regain energy at the end of every page.  The amount of energy regained is equal to the character’s Agility score.  This means that speedy characters will have more staying power than the Hulking bruisers or the Eldritch arcane blasters who have been spending so much energy in their attacks.  The fast characters should be running circles around their wheezing enemies!  

The energy regained in this manner cannot exceed the character’s current maximum in the energy pool.  Most characters have an energy pool of 10, but the pool total is lowered by certain powers, like flight. A character with Flying 3 has an energy pool of 7 until s/he lands and turns off the flying power.  Thus a character with Flying 3 and Agility 4 and an energy of 6 would still only regain up to 7 at the end of the page, as 3 of his energy is committed to flight. 

The results of this system is that heroes spend less time resting and more time blasting/fighting/etc.  Characters will have to push themselves less often, but when they do, it will be because they have no other choice.  

The drawback of this system is a little more record keeping for the players than normal. 
== Option 2. Larger Energy Pools ==

Another way to make character’s powers last longer in battle is to increase how much energy they have to spend in the first place.  This can be done by simply doubling or tripling the energy pool.  The larger the energy pool is, the less important energy expenditure is to character.  

Another way to enlarge the energy pool is to make it a function of a stat.  5 Energy per point of Agility for instance, might be a good sized energy pool.  This way, energy is still important, but in the player’s control.  

A new power might also increase the amount of energy a character has available.  This power could be called “Energy Reserve”.  Every point put in this power (maximum of 5) increases the character’s energy pool by 5.  This could be used in conjunction with the options discussed above.  

The drawback of this method is that some characters may abuse it, making them not have to care about using energy at all as they use their most powerful powers all the time. 

== Option 3.  Multiple Energy Pools ==

Yet another way to stretch out the characters’ energy pools is to have there be separate energy pools.  There should be a Brawn pool, an Agility pool, and a Mind pool.  These pools can be equal to 10 each or maybe even functions of their stats.  Different types of powers would draw energy from different pools. Movement powers, like Flight or Super Running should draw from the Agility Pool, while Mental powers like Telekinesis or Mind Control would draw from the Mind pool.  The Brawn pool would fuel Biomaniuplation powers as well as some attack powers.  In the end, choose whichever pool makes the most sense for a given power to draw energy from.  

The drawback of this method is more record keeping for the players to deal with.  

In the end, the methods for resolving energy use are up to the narrator.  There is nothing wrong with the rules as they are, as long as the Heroes and villains are coming up with great one-liners during their “rest” actions!


== Option 4. More effective Resting ==

Of course, if you want to simply make resting more effective, you could state that resting restores all used energy.  This would make resting equally effective for all Heroes, and also make resting occur less often without having to keep track of any extra things.