I used something called Her points. I had it as both something to help the players in drastic situations and to aid in character growth. I slowed down XP when I used this.
Hero points will be rewarded at the end of each session for the following:
1. Good role-playing awards: This will be awarded twice. The PCs pick one recipient and the GM picks one. That will award an additional one or two point to those people/ that person. The DM will decide role-playing award based upon a person staying in character at all times, without encouraging too much dissension or slowing down game play greatly. PC to PC interaction in character, rather than player to player interaction at the gaming table will have a GREATER impact on this decision than PC to NPC interaction. What this means is, start talking to each other, and with each other, in character much more than out of character if you want this reward. It is not unlikely that perhaps more than one person will get this reward in a single session. Be warned that too much of out of character conversation, particularly when other people are trying to listen to the DM, will void eligibility for this reward in a given session. I don't mind if you all want to converses with each other about out of game things (heck, I do it), but try to avoid it when it is disruptive to those trying to listen.
2. The Quote: An additional hero point will be awarded to the player who scores the vaunted "Quote of the session." Don't go out of your way to actually TRY for this reward, as the best quotes are usually those that come out of nowhere without trying. Quote winner will be decided by DM and player input combined.
3. Fun, Fun, Fun: An additional two hero points will be awarded for players who encourage a good deal of fun for all while playing, and discourage disruptive behavior and unnecessarily long 'quibbling' over irrelevancies. This point will be withheld for any who are consistently disruptive of the fun of others, or otherwise selfishly pursue their own agenda with no concern for the fact that there is a group of X individuals who ALL deserve to have fun. (Note: when the DM shows this behavioral pattern, the player's are encouraged to please smack him...we all DO have bad days which make us surly now and again.)
4. Heroic: Each player will receive one or two points for being heroic. This will be for the full daily effort. Acts like giving away money, helping people with basic needs, using yourself as a human shield for others, ext. This is not just about combat.
5. Thinking: Players may receive up to three points for deductive reasoning. This may be given to multiple players if they work together. This will not be a weekly reward as there is not always a thing to figure out. Also, there are many mysteries that are not weekly, so more then one reward can be given out if multiple things are solved.
6. Co-operation: One point may be given out for co-operation. This is not so much role-playing as it is using each of your unique abilities in a way to help out the other PCs. It’s not so much about the doing as it is about the talking it over.
7. Showing Up: One is given to everyone who makes it to
that gaming session.
Hero points may be spent as follows:
1) One hero point may be spent to add a +4 to any skill check, attack roll, saving throw, initiative roll, or ability check. Up to five hero points may be spent on any die roll.
2) One hero point may be used to reroll on die. However, if the die roll is a fumble (a natural one on a d20) then two hero points have to be spent. The result of the second die roll is taken no matter if it is better or worse.
3) Five hero points may be spent to roll 2 dice for hit points when leveling up. The higher of the two rolls is used for hit points gained (NOT the sum). This option may not be taken multiple times for any given level (i.e. maximum of two dice rolled).
4) One hero point may be spent to automatically score maximum damage on any single die roll. If the damage dice is more then one die, you can spend more then one point to have more dice be maximum.
5) Twenty hero points may be spent in order to gain an additional feat.
6) Three hero points may be spent to gain one rank in any skill you can choose from.
7) Ten hero points can be used to make any cross class skill a class skill.
8) Thirty hero points can be used to increase an attribute one point.
9) Two may be spent to give another player one hero point.
