Hero Points

[Creamsteak]

I'm considering using something like this for my next game. It's an Eberron game, and I wanted something similar to the "action points" that existed in 3e Eberron. I also had been reading up on other variants in other systems, one calling them hero points, and was thinking that it could work pretty well. I'm looking for any opinions, comments, or questions that anyone can come up with.

HERO POINTS
A hero point is a character resource that allows a character to do something exceptional above and beyond what the character is normally capable of. Hero points are there to represent a character taking control of destiny and breaking their limitations. When you use a hero point, you shouldn't just be looking for a tactical edge, they are there for the player to say, “I succeed” in spite of the challenge, the DM, and the dice. Remember, you won't see them every session or even every level.

Gaining Hero Points
Hero points can be earned in a few ways. You can have more than one hero point at a time, but you can only use one hero point during a turn.

• Your first character begins with one hero point.
• If your character should ever die, your next character begins with one hero point. If you create a new character for any other reason, that character does not begin with one hero point.
• When your character finishes a major quest, that character gains a hero point.

In addition, temporary hero points may appear under certain circumstances. These hero points have a specific duration, often a single encounter. After the duration, the temporary hero points are gone. Some examples of temporary hero points are:

• A skill challenge before a major encounter might bolster the strength of the party if they succeed, granting a temporary hero point to each character in the party for the battle.
• A series of events might be part of a larger prophecy that can be seen in the stars. By fulfilling or altering the events that make up that prophecy, the party might accumulate a number of temporary hero points that can be used in a decisive battle that will decide the fate of the prophecy.
• While collecting the pieces to a powerful artifact, a competing faction tries to collect pieces for themselves. When the final confrontation arrives, the number of pieces collected on each side of the conflict may be represented by a pool of hero points that are split between the two sides.

Using Hero Points
Some examples of ways you can use a hero point are:

• To take an extra action during your turn. The extra action you take does not benefit from any abilities that are based on using an action point.
• To make your characters missed attack into a hit, or a hit into a critical hit.
• To automatically succeed at a skill check or other dice roll other than an attack.
• To use a power that you do not have trained in place of a power you have available. The power you use must be of the same type (daily/encounter/at-will) and of equal or lower level. You can also use this ability to use powers from classes for which you have the relevant multi-class feats (acolyte power, adept power, novice power).
• To recover any daily power you've used this day or any encounter power used this encounter.
• To immediately recover your bloodied value in hit points.
• To immediately gain your bloodied value in temporary hit points.
• To force an enemy marked by you to attack you on its turn.
• To perform a stunt that might otherwise seem impossible.

This list is not exhaustive. Other creative and interesting ideas for using hero points may be allowed.

 

[Creamsteak]

Some spoilers on some modules follow, so don't read what's in this post unless you are comfortable with having the ashen crown adventure spoiled.

[sblock]The hero points themselves are meant to be a reward for major quests, as I'm not intending to use experience points in this game. The temporary hero points are an idea somewhat inspired by Barrow of the Forgotten King and some other similar events.

In the ashen crown adventure, I would likely award a temporary hero point to the entire party if they show respect in the tomb at the end of the first part of the module. If some but not all show respect, no hero point. If they all show disrespect, the hero wight would get one. That's my first thought for it at least.

In other adventures I've run, I think I could use a mechanic like that as a long-term tracking thing (like in the Red Hand of Doom module, how you would track victory points towards determining success or failure in the battle of brindol). Then, in the final confrontation, I'd use a little more than the normal amount of monsters/enemies to make it a bigger more spectacular fight, but also give the character a real crazy chance to shine by giving them their built-up temporary points that apply to this battle.

Thoughts?[/sblock]

 

[Garthanos]

My idea for Hero Points... is... take hitpoints blur your eyes a bit remember the definition includes luck and similar things... then give a few more uses like spending them to make/suceed on a saving throw... then remember that a healing surge is well a quanta of those....then I start worrying over the economy of them based on any changes I make. I notice that like many healing surges dont run out often enough that they couldnt have another more offensive hat if we want ... they become hero points

 

[Engilbrand]

I call them Spiffy Points. They allow the person to; do something really interesting, such as swing from ropes on a ship and kick a guy in the face; use an effect without dealing damage, like using Lightning Lure to pull an ally to safety; do something extra, like hook a foe and drop him to the ground after hitting him.
I give them 5 per session. They rarely use them all. I like the idea of using them to turn a miss into a hit or a hit into a crit.

 

[N0Man]

I like the idea of Hero Points, and I really like the idea of Fate Points. As much as I'd like to include them in D&D, I'm wary of too many resource types being mixed in and making the game more confusing or something.

I think I'd rather come up with a way to use the existing Action Points and Healing Surge resources to accomplish the goal.

 

[Garthanos]

I like the idea of Hero Points, and I really like the idea of Fate Points. As much as I'd like to include them in D&D, I'm wary of too many resource types being mixed in and making the game more confusing or something.

I think I'd rather come up with a way to use the existing Action Points and Healing Surge resources to accomplish the goal.

Exactly... boost there functionality a tad .. hell combine them and give me one resource called hero points.

 

[CapnZapp]

I love Fate and Fortune Points in WFRP, but adding Fate Points (as in "extra lives) doesn't work so well in D&D. In 4E, you already have the "ignore death" abilities of epic tier; and besides, in the long run a Fate Point means little more than a saving of a few pieces of gold (500/5,000/50,000).

And the main use for Fortune Points (other than getting extra actions which is exactly what Action Points already do) is to get re-rolls. This is already handled by 4E, although in a controlled way.

In summary: I think the Action Points used by 4E is enough and works fine. I would simply assume that any 3E Eberron action points gets converted into 4E core action points, despite any differences.

Adding another layer (i.e. Hero Points) would probably mostly be confusing; so if anything, I'd expand what you can do with the Action Points you already have.