Against the Shadows VII - A Faded Glory Story Hour (Re-Updated - 5/17)
- Thread starter Old One
- Start date
Slacker...
Greetings All,
Sorry for the long delay in updates...
Unfortunately, I must beg your patience for a bit more. The last several weeks have essentially been 90 hour weeks between my 2.5 jobs (+ a bit of daddy time) and I had a computer glitch on Friday that dumped about 20 hours worth of consulting work into the ether![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
!
I am heading out of country at the end of this week for ~ 8 days (don't hate me...it is a "working cruise" to the Western Caribbean) and have a gazillion things to clean off my desk(s) before departing
...
The good news is that we played today...lots of icky goodness with horror checks, a desperate battle, multiple players teetering on the edge of doom and an encounter that sucked up virtually every hero point in the party!
The bad news is this session is 10 behind where we are now ...
See ya soon!
~ Old One
Greetings All,
Sorry for the long delay in updates...
Unfortunately, I must beg your patience for a bit more. The last several weeks have essentially been 90 hour weeks between my 2.5 jobs (+ a bit of daddy time) and I had a computer glitch on Friday that dumped about 20 hours worth of consulting work into the ether
!I am heading out of country at the end of this week for ~ 8 days (don't hate me...it is a "working cruise" to the Western Caribbean) and have a gazillion things to clean off my desk(s) before departing
...The good news is that we played today...lots of icky goodness with horror checks, a desperate battle, multiple players teetering on the edge of doom and an encounter that sucked up virtually every hero point in the party!
The bad news is this session is 10 behind where we are now
...See ya soon!
~ Old One
I just managed to finish reading, from the beginning (over the course of a week or so). Enjoyed the story, thanks for the continuing dedication to putting it together. Interestingly, I actually started with Rel's SH,... he's a walking advertisement for you.
One brief question that I seem to have missed somewhere along the way: what do hero points do in your campaign? How are they awarded? I gather that they can become XP, since there was some long ago discussion of Quintus (not) using them to reach 4th level.
I must also say that I've found the low Con scores and (until recently) the lack of heavy armors interesting. Any particular reason for that trend? Did Sextus ever manage to get a more respectable HP rolls? (Last I heard he had 16.)
Anyway, thanks again for the entertaining read.
. . . . . . . -- Eric
One brief question that I seem to have missed somewhere along the way: what do hero points do in your campaign? How are they awarded? I gather that they can become XP, since there was some long ago discussion of Quintus (not) using them to reach 4th level.
I must also say that I've found the low Con scores and (until recently) the lack of heavy armors interesting. Any particular reason for that trend? Did Sextus ever manage to get a more respectable HP rolls? (Last I heard he had 16.)
Anyway, thanks again for the entertaining read.
. . . . . . . -- Eric
Lela
First Post
I'm not sure how Old Ond uses Hero points but we both tend to award them for the same reason. Generally, as my players put it, you get one for doing something stupid and pulling it off. 
Really, it's only something stupid done for heroic reasons. And you don't always have to completely pull it off. Sometimes you can get a point even if you wind up dead. Not that it does much good, of course, but still possible.
Really, it's only something stupid done for heroic reasons. And you don't always have to completely pull it off. Sometimes you can get a point even if you wind up dead. Not that it does much good, of course, but still possible.
Last edited:
Thanks for stoppin' by...
Psyke,
I pay Rel well to be my billboard!
Thanks for your kind comments...this SH has been around since early on in Story Hourdom. I love writing it, but my life has been insanely busy over the last year or so and it has suffered from serial neglect at times
!
To your questions...
(1) Hero Points - Hero points have actually gone through several iterations IMC. Initially, I awarded everyone 5 hero points. At the end of each session, the players do a secret ballot on "Roleplayer of the Game" and that PC gets awarded two additional hero points. Once they are gone, they're gone and the only way to replensh them is through winning the RPer of the Game vote or by the occassional DM award. I don't hand them out as often as I should (usually 1-2 every other game, on average). The initial benefits for using them were pretty lame, so everyone ended up trading them in for XP (25 xp per level per hero point) if they were close to leveling.
About 3 sessions ago, I completely revamped the hero point system. Now, they start play with 3 hero points and receive 1 each time they gain a level. The RPer of the Game remains, but they only receive 1 for winning instead of two. Revised hero point usages are:
(1) 25 xp per level (no change)
(2) One hero point gives a 1d6 stackable bonus to any skill check, attack roll, saving throw or damage throw. It will also subtact 5-30% from a stabilization roll. The hero point may be applied after the die roll.
(3) Two hero points can provide the same benefit as above, except you can apply the bonus or penalty to someone else's die roll (PC, NPC or DM).
(4) Two hero points for an automatic re-roll, taking the higher of the two dice.
(5) Three hero points grants an automatic success to any die roll - skill check, attack roll, saving throw or stabilization roll.
(6) Three hero points for a "heroic surge". This allows the PC to act as if hasted (we are still playing 3E - so one extra partial action per round) for 1-3 rounds.
This made them a lot more flexible (and powerful), but they are now much more precious. I saw more uses of hero points for heroic things this last session than all the previous sessions put together!
(2) Armor/Con Scores/Hit Points - Part of the reason that no one has much in the way of heavy armor is that it is so darn expensive. Also, with the exception of Cragen (and a new PC introduced soon), no one really wanted it. Rowan is a ranger/rogue, Sextus is a bard/ranger, Quintus is a sorcerer and Rose is a barbarian...none of which really benefit from it. The ACs of the party are fairly paltry and they don't avail themselves of much spell buffing (with limited resources) so they are pretty easy to hit. OTOH, they can deal some pretty serious damage to opponents (assuming Rose can actually hit something), so it balances out a bit. My campaign economy is based on a silver standard, but most goods and services are still priced in gold pieces, so they tend to be a pretty poor lot, overall. The ability scores in the party are pretty good, overall, most are built with 30-32 points. Most of those with low CON scores just chose to put their points in other areas. Sextus's hp luck is still horrible bad...I think he is up to 23 now...at 6th level (poor lad). The player and I both roll a hit die on advancement (mine is behind the DM screen) and the player can take their roll, or what is behind "Door #1"...the dice have not been kind to Sextus.
Thanks for stoppin' by and hope to have an update up soon!
~ Old One
Pyske said:
Psyke,
I pay Rel well to be my billboard
!Thanks for your kind comments...this SH has been around since early on in Story Hourdom. I love writing it, but my life has been insanely busy over the last year or so and it has suffered from serial neglect at times
!To your questions...
(1) Hero Points - Hero points have actually gone through several iterations IMC. Initially, I awarded everyone 5 hero points. At the end of each session, the players do a secret ballot on "Roleplayer of the Game" and that PC gets awarded two additional hero points. Once they are gone, they're gone and the only way to replensh them is through winning the RPer of the Game vote or by the occassional DM award. I don't hand them out as often as I should (usually 1-2 every other game, on average). The initial benefits for using them were pretty lame, so everyone ended up trading them in for XP (25 xp per level per hero point) if they were close to leveling.
About 3 sessions ago, I completely revamped the hero point system. Now, they start play with 3 hero points and receive 1 each time they gain a level. The RPer of the Game remains, but they only receive 1 for winning instead of two. Revised hero point usages are:
(1) 25 xp per level (no change)
(2) One hero point gives a 1d6 stackable bonus to any skill check, attack roll, saving throw or damage throw. It will also subtact 5-30% from a stabilization roll. The hero point may be applied after the die roll.
(3) Two hero points can provide the same benefit as above, except you can apply the bonus or penalty to someone else's die roll (PC, NPC or DM).
(4) Two hero points for an automatic re-roll, taking the higher of the two dice.
(5) Three hero points grants an automatic success to any die roll - skill check, attack roll, saving throw or stabilization roll.
(6) Three hero points for a "heroic surge". This allows the PC to act as if hasted (we are still playing 3E - so one extra partial action per round) for 1-3 rounds.
This made them a lot more flexible (and powerful), but they are now much more precious. I saw more uses of hero points for heroic things this last session than all the previous sessions put together!
(2) Armor/Con Scores/Hit Points - Part of the reason that no one has much in the way of heavy armor is that it is so darn expensive. Also, with the exception of Cragen (and a new PC introduced soon), no one really wanted it. Rowan is a ranger/rogue, Sextus is a bard/ranger, Quintus is a sorcerer and Rose is a barbarian...none of which really benefit from it. The ACs of the party are fairly paltry and they don't avail themselves of much spell buffing (with limited resources) so they are pretty easy to hit. OTOH, they can deal some pretty serious damage to opponents (assuming Rose can actually hit something), so it balances out a bit. My campaign economy is based on a silver standard, but most goods and services are still priced in gold pieces, so they tend to be a pretty poor lot, overall. The ability scores in the party are pretty good, overall, most are built with 30-32 points. Most of those with low CON scores just chose to put their points in other areas. Sextus's hp luck is still horrible bad...I think he is up to 23 now...at 6th level (poor lad). The player and I both roll a hit die on advancement (mine is behind the DM screen) and the player can take their roll, or what is behind "Door #1"...the dice have not been kind to Sextus.
Thanks for stoppin' by and hope to have an update up soon!
~ Old One
I am way to stingy...
Lela,
Wazzup? I am really (ie, too) stingy with the hero points...I am trying to make a point to give out at least 1 per session, but it doesn't always happen. Not that the PCs don't do dumb/heroic things...my nearly senior citizen mind just forgets!
~ Old One
Lela said:I'm not sure how Old Ond uses Hero points but we both tend to award them for the same reason. Generally, as my players put it, you get one for doing something stupid and pulling it off.
Really, it's only something stupid done for heroic reasons. And you don't always have to completely pull it off. Sometimes you can get a point even if you wind up dead. Not that it does much good, of course, but still possible.
Lela,
Wazzup? I am really (ie, too) stingy with the hero points...I am trying to make a point to give out at least 1 per session, but it doesn't always happen. Not that the PCs don't do dumb/heroic things...my nearly senior citizen mind just forgets
!~ Old One
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