You, Not Your Gear

 You, Not Your Gear

Description: Characters receive less treasure, especially items that grant special abilities. Instead, they gain more regular boosts to their abilities. In its original format, players recieved 20% less treasure but gained twice as many ability score increases. 

Find it in: The Official Dungeons & Dragons blog circa 2006

Keywords: Epic, Heroic, Low-Magic, Swashbuckling

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Martial Arts, Pulp, Superhero, Sword & Sorcery, Western

Steal the Spotlight

Steal the Spotlight

(a.k.a. "Hold my beer", Time to Shine) 

Description: Once per session, characters get to declare that they are grandstanding and showing off their ability. They gain a vastly increased dice pool or double advantage on this roll.

Find it in: The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence (NSFW), Alpha Blue (NSFW)

Keywords: Cinematic, Epic, Fast-paced, Heroic, Pulpy, Swashbuckling 

Genres: Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Martial Arts, Pulp, Science Fiction, Superhero, 

Boosts

Boosts

Contributed by: McChuck 

Description: Characters have Boosts which passively grant bonuses to certain actions. Actively using the boost creates a much greater effect, but reduces the boost by one level. This reduction may be automatic, or determined by a dice roll. Boost levels heal with time, after resting or between play sessions.

Source: House rule, inspired by depletion rolls and Luck Scores.

Keywords: Epic, Heroic, Pulpy, Tactical

Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Martial Arts, Pulp, Superhero

Wine Recovery / For Medicinal Purposes

Wine Recovery / For Medicinal Purposes 

Description: Characters may once per day recover from a small amount injury by drinking alcohol.

Found In: Age of Conan, D&D3.5

Keywords: Pulpy, Swashbuckling 

Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Western, Martial Arts, Crime, Military