Hero points

[Haltherrion]

For out next campaign setting, we are experimenting with a house rule for hero points- something that lets players improve the odds on a few select rolls. We have had some back and forth on it. Below is the third complete reformulation. We are still kicking tihs one around and would appreciate any comments; thoughts on them from "I've tried this sort of thing before and it sucks" to minor tweaks.

In this setting, there will be a charatcer selection process (draft) that will determine among other things, how many hero points a character gets per level but for the sake of discussion here, assume 3 per level and a maximum of 9 at any one time.

The Heroic

In fiction, myth and legend, the hero always seems to pull off the impossible just when it really matters. In standard D&D, the players are at the mercy of the dice. It would be really nice if at the campaign climax, the paladin's smite evil attack actually hit the foe but in D&D there is no guarantee of that. The hero point system is intended to give the PCs a little more control over their destiny and increase the number of heroic moments in a campaign.

Use of Hero Points

• Hero points can only be used during one attack of any sort (spell, melee, ranged, etc.) per NPC per round. This means those with better initiative can preempt those with poorer initiative. You can use multiple points on the same attack (say one point on the to-hit and a second on the critical threaten) but you cannot use points on two separate attacks (such as two separate arrow attacks in one full-round attack action). This means that if one PC has already used hero points against an NPC, a second PC later in the same round cannot use hero points against that NPC.
• Hero points only effect die rolls after the player declares their use. You cannot make a roll then decide to use hero points.
• Hero points can only be spent on an action executed by the character using the points. You cannot use them on another character's action, be they cohort, fellow PC or what not with one exception: a character can use hero points for a defensive roll (usually a saving throw or a skill check) for a mind-linked special follower (generally a familiar or a special mount). It is up to the referee to determine whether the action is defensive. It could include an attack by a familiar in defense of an incapacitated master in certain circumstances. More typically, it would apply to the familiar's saving throw.
• Hero points affect the PC's action, not the NPC's rolls or actions. It may make the DC of a spell higher but it cannot reduce or otherwise affect the NPC's saving throw roll.

Otherwise, there are no other restrictions on hero points. For instance, if a red dragon caught every member of the party with its breathe weapon, every member of the party could opt to use hero points on the saving throw.

Using Hero Points
# Hero points: Use
1/2/3: +10/+20/+40 to a to-hit, threatened critical roll, saving throw, spell penetration or skill check.
1: maximize damage from a melee or ranged weapon.
1: Empower, extend or enlarge a spell at no change to spell level.*
2: Maximize or widen a spell at no change to spell level.*
1/2/3: +2/+4/+8 to spell DC or dispel magic check.
2: maximize a die roll not listed here.

*Sorcerers, bards and mystics require full round action. The metamagic-like effects can be stacked. For instance, an empowered, maximized spell would cost 3 points.

Actual amount of hero points per level and maximum at any one time are determined in the draft by the number of Laurel Wreath cards.

Notes on Hero Points

Very occasionally, an action might earn a bonus hero point and even more rarely, a change to the number of points a character gains per level and his or her maximum points. These cases occur for a truly heroic action and require the agreement of all players present and the referee.

Inappropriate use of hero points, as determined by the referee, can result in being docked hero points or a decrease to the points per level or point maximum. For example, using a hero point to make a "drinking" check in a bar because the character is at maximum points and is about to go up a level and is going to lose the points anyway is in nearly all cases an inappropriate, non-heroic use and will be penalized.

NPCs do not have hero points.

 

[Atilary]

i use a version called "goblin stamps." basically i would assign a number of stamps to be presented at the conclusion of an "adventure," with the number of stamps being dependent on the number of sessions the adventure lasted. they would then be equally distributed by the players to each other...

The Rules on Goblin Stamps
1. Players cannot give themselves Goblin Stamps. They must distribute the ones they have among the other players.
2. If a player does not play for a total of 75% of the adventure, then he does not get to distribute point at the end of that adventure.
3. Point may be used for certain things, most of which are covered below. Some exceptions do apply.
4. The DM may award bonus stamps for accomplishing things out-of-game as well. Everyone will be informed when these are offered.
5. Goblin Stamps may be given when a new group is starting for exceptionally well thought out and developed characters. Each player will be awarded 1 Goblin Stamp for creating a good, descriptive character history.

Uses
- 1 Goblin Stamp may be spent to add a +2 bonus to any skills check, ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or initiative roll. Up to 5 Goblin Stamps may be spent on a single roll this way.
- 1 Goblin Stamp may be spent to automatically succeed on a stabilizing roll to stop bleeding between –1 and –10 hit points.
- 2 Goblin Stamps may be spent to negate the effects of a critical failure. These points must be spent after the critical failure is made and before the second check to see if the character recovers is made.
- 2 Goblin Stamps may be spent to automatically score maximum on a single die roll. Note, a weapon that deals 2d6 cost 4 point to maximize.
- 5 Goblin Stamps may be spent to reroll any roll. Use of this option must be declared before any secondary (like damage) rolls are made.
- 5 Goblin Stamps may be spent to make a critical threat automatically a critical. This must be declared before the confirmation roll is made.
- 10 Goblin Stamps may be spent to force another player or NPC to reroll any single roll made, including attacks, damage, and saving throws.

sorry for the formatting, hope this helps.

 

[Azure Trance]

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34618

 

[Haltherrion]

Thanks for both replies; they seem to reference similar systems and these aren't so different from what I posted. Guess hero point systems are more a matter of degree then anything else (i.e., they all do similar things).

Think this particular method of distributing points and these particular magnitudes are interesting? Problemmatic?

Couple things in particular I was trying to 'tune':

• I'm looking for a hero points that has some impact so I've gone with larger magnitudes than other systems.
• I'm concerned about players hording hero points so I put in a cap. (That is, I'd rather have players use them as they go along rather than save them for some finale encounter.)
• The HP award is not subjective. No player or ref awards. (My experience with player or ref XP awards is that they tend to encourage player showboating & game-time hogging).
• Amount of points per level is a function of the character creation process. Some players could trade better stats, gold, and other stuff for more hero points per level. In an extreme case, that could be 3x other PCs but in such a case, that PC would be much lower on stats, gear, etc.
• They don't effect NPC rolls.
• They can emulate metamagic effects.
• They can effect damage rolls. (One possibility is to use one to make your threatened critical (when you get one) and another to max the damage roll. Could be lots of damage.)
• An NPC can only have hero points used against him once per round. (I have visions of the party ganging up on my poor 'boss' NPC.)

Any thoughts on whether this is over kill? I don't want to spend the trouble on these things or have a player focus on them during the chatacter creation process if they don't have some significant effect for a limited number of rolls. Of course, I'm not looking to torpedo the game balance either.

Marc

 

[MarauderX]

I keep it simple. PCs gain 1 Hero/Luck point per level. They can use 1 point to reroll ANYTHING. That means if I the DM roll high on an attack on their friend, they can spend a point to have me reroll. Did they roll sucky hit points? Spend a hero point to reroll. Missed that save? Spend it. Missed it again? Spend another one. Still missed it and no one wants to lend you their last point? Bummer.