Huh, odd. Games I've played in (Rogue Trader and Black Crusade, mainly), the Fate Points/Infamy Points have been hotly sought after, often used for healing and adding +10 to rolls.

Note that part of this is because most of them can't actually spend it on rerolls in the Black Crusade game, though. I really like the scaling capabilities for Infamy Points in Black Crusade.

I really, really like the Black Crusade mechanics - not only do they become more awesome as you get better, but they also diverge in use based on your alignment

I think it's just a question of player type.

Personally, I have a huge problem with "consumables" in any type of game I play, and you could say FP are a type of consumable. I'm only ever using stuff like medikits when they are absolutely necessary, but I am very, very tight-fisted when it comes to buffs - simply because there is something in my brain telling me I should save them for when I really need them. Which usually ends up with me not using them at all, and in computer games ultimately simply out-leveling and then selling or throwing them away.

In essence, my "waste not" personality is keeping me to get the maximum efficiency out of consumables, including Fate. And I have seen a lot of players having similar problems. I'm not sure you could really "train" a player to drop this behaviour when it extends beyond the one game you are playing.

It is for this reason I came up with the "once per encounter" stuff in my alternate rules for Acts of Faith.

A lot of players are like that. It's why focusing their attention on the 'once per game session' of the fate points is important; if you end an evening's play with any left, your character has in some way been less awesome than they could have been...

It's why the one house rule I've gone with is to make the Emperor's blessing roll a start-of-session thing; people might or might not have a 'free fate point' each session, but if they do there's no reason to hang on to it...

Numenera has a cool rule for "GM Intrusions" which could be adapted to DH.

I haven't played Numenera, but this system sounds awesome! I might have to find ways to adapt it to other systems as well.

I think it's just a question of player type.

Personally, I have a huge problem with "consumables" in any type of game I play, and you could say FP are a type of consumable. I'm only ever using stuff like medikits when they are absolutely necessary, but I am very, very tight-fisted when it comes to buffs - simply because there is something in my brain telling me I should save them for when I really need them. Which usually ends up with me not using them at all, and in computer games ultimately simply out-leveling and then selling or throwing them away.

Always have this problem myself. On top of that I am ahopeless hoarder, so I usually end up with an inventory full of random one off things I am never really going to use.

Personally, I have a huge problem with "consumables" in any type of game I play, and you could say FP are a type of consumable. I'm only ever using stuff like medikits when they are absolutely necessary, but I am very, very tight-fisted when it comes to buffs - simply because there is something in my brain telling me I should save them for when I really need them.

I have some players like this, I just tend to put them into situations where they feel using FP are absolutely necessary. It does tend to make the games more difficult, but my players (now) tend to prefer that. In fact, I have one player who plays with another group and complains that the games are "too easy".

Personally, I have a huge problem with "consumables" in any type of game I play, and you could say FP are a type of consumable. I'm only ever using stuff like medikits when they are absolutely necessary, but I am very, very tight-fisted when it comes to buffs - simply because there is something in my brain telling me I should save them for when I really need them.

I have some players like this, I just tend to put them into situations where they feel using FP are absolutely necessary. It does tend to make the games more difficult, but my players (now) tend to prefer that. In fact, I have one player who plays with another group and complains that the games are "too easy".

The groups I gm and the one I play in do this. We have had a few even burning fate permanently. It has been that close at times. And the players all seem to enjoy the challenge immensely. Rarely do they go in half cocked into an engagement.

I'm a very aggressive, high-risk player -- I spend Fate points, throw grenades, push psychic powers, and generally fire off my limited use abilities whenever I think they will help me. I'm in the minority among my gaming group, and judging from these thread responses I'm in the minority among forum posters as well

Basically, I think of Fate points as a renewable resource rather than a precious commodity. I know that all my unspent Fate will dissipate after every session, so I do my best to make sure nothing goes to waste. I take a proactive approach to preventing damage; if the heavy stubber-toting mutant dies to my krak grenade or Fate-boosted sniper shot, I won't have to worry about acing the Dodge roll later

On other systems with similar resources (Savage Worlds, the Buffy RPG) I have never had an problem spending these resources. I think the thing is that Dark Heresy is such a deadly system that the idea of rerolling dodges and parries etc is pretty much what I find myself saving them for. Savage Worlds can be really deadly (surprise attack by tree dwelling evil puma killing my character in one round of combat... ow!), but generally gives you a little more chance to save yourself from being killed. Therefore the bennies in that see a little more use for non-survival stuff.

My experience is the same – people save fate points for failed dodge rolls. PCs don’t think about healing until they’ve taken critical damage –which they can’t heal with fate. But even if they had healed in time, the 1d5 probably wouldn’t have made enough difference to prevent going down from the next hit. Occasionally someone might re-roll a failed test out of frustration (usually an attack), but that usually comes back to bite them in their posteriorum as they invariably will be out of fate points when they really need them – ie to reroll a dodge.

However, it seems many people may have missed a crucial change to the fate point system in second edition. GMs can now award (temporary) fate points instantly during a session to reward such thing as good roleplaying or problemsolving. And since a player cannot have more fate points than his threshold, a bonus point would go to waste unless a player had already spend some. So this may encourage players to spend their fate points more freely.

It’s somewhat similar to the style points in the charming Hollow Earth Expedition RPG, where a player receives a style point for doing something cool, which he can then spend to boost a dice roll. In HEX, there’s a constant back and forth dynamic with style points (best represented with poker chips – it’s a pulp setting) flying around the table. I doubt it fate points will have the same dynamic, since they are more valuable than style points, but at least there’s some incentive to spend them IF the GM remembers to hand them out as well!

However, it seems many people may have missed a crucial change to the fate point system in second edition. GMs can now award (temporary) fate points instantly during a session to reward such thing as good roleplaying or problemsolving. And since a player cannot have more fate points than his threshold, a bonus point would go to waste unless a player had already spend some. So this may encourage players to spend their fate points more freely.

Ah Hah!

Good call. I shall bear this in mind