Latest revision as of 01:25, 29 November 2015

Hero Points: An Essay By Jerry

I will address this seemingly confusing issue on the DM board after a while.

This is from the Online Combat Rules:

Hero Points:

When a PC performs an action that is heroic according to his class, i.e. something that truly benefits the party, puts herself at risk for them, and is successful; the DM will award a hero point when experience is given out. The number of hero points a PC has cannot exceed her current "character" level. When you are awarded a Hero Point, you also receive 50xp times your level.

Hero points may be used to re-roll any roll one time. If you are striking the dragon and roll a 2 missing the beast, you may use a hero point to re-roll the attack roll. If you are saving vs. poison or die and you fail the roll, you may use a hero point to re-roll that save one time.

Hero points may also be used to increase a rolls chance for success by 10% or +2 on a d20. (Yes that's right old guys, it has been changed. 5% and +1 was too skimpy for what you have to do to earn it. Right?)

You may use a combination of those two as well. Let's say you miss your save vs. poison and have had that character for 5 years. You don't want to lose him. You have 9 hero points so you use one to reroll and the other 8 to give you a +16 to the roll -- virtually guaranteeing success. It also uses up all your hero points, however, leaving you without any more extra chances in the future until you can earn more.

If you fail a roll the DM makes, you may use a hero point to re-roll in your next post the following round. You will still be subject to the situation for one round until the re-roll is made, assuming that it succeeds. Hero points may not be used after following round.

Example:

During the NPC's initiative, an Entangle Spell has been cast upon you. The DM rolled, and you failed your save. The next turn, you can use a hero point to re-roll the save. If you succeed, you are instantly freed from the spell, which held you fast the previous round.

A hero point must be used at the character's first opportunity or the situation has passed him/her by.

If you would rather not be entangled at all, you must specify on your character sheet when the DM should use a hero point for you. Otherwise, the DM will only use a hero point to prevent your character's death.

I need to add this somewhere:

Hero points require two things: risk and success.

If a fighter stands alone in against 3 monsters his level, he earns a hero point, assuming that he lives.

If a cleric stands over the body of a fallen party member risking his life and taking shots until he can heal the fallen person, he gets a hero point.

If a mage takes risk of future attack and casts a useful spell that helps to turn the tide of the combat, he earns a hero point.

If a rogue takes risk and sneaks ahead detecting traps for the party, he gets a hero point. If he successfully hides and then pulls off a backstab, he earns a hero point.

Now, many over the years have asked why have hero points? Why not simply await the consequences of the numbers rolled? I would give you the following reasons that have to do with the flavor of the Campaign World I have created.

1. I expect all adventurers to be true heroes. That means that as in the epic novels of fantasy, our heroes tend to live when others would simply give up and die. The normal character fails his poison roll and dies. The Woldian hero fails his poison roll, clutches at his throat, falls to the ground and dies....seemingly. Then he expends that bit of luck that makes him a hero and after a few seconds, he coughs and begins breathing again.

The combat with the dragon comes down to the final round. The dragon, sorely wounded and the rogue down to his last throwing dagger. He lofts it at the eye of the dragon. Rolls a 2 and the dagger begins to spin off course. It appears that the dragon has won. But what? The hero was throwing a curve! He uses a hero point and the dagger turns towards the dragon killing him as the dagger hits the remaining eye. The heroes have won!

2. The DM now can repeatedly throw tough saves and situations at a party since he knows they party can absorb a few with their hero points. So the combats become a bit tougher....more epic in nature.

3. Since players will want hero points, they begin doing the kinds of things that earn them which again fosters heroic play. Player Zack thinks to himself that he's low on hero points so he's looking for an opportunity to shine in combat and take a risk for the group so that his hero point can keep him alive later which also helps the group.

Yes there have been times that I've given hero points to everyone in the group....even 2. Usually, though, I award them immediately after each battle or important role-playing situation. They are harder to get in role playing than in combat. That is on purpose as they are easier to use in combat than in role playing. Most "rolls" are combat rolls. Fewer are "role-playing rolls." And hero points are always applied to a roll of some sort.

One of the ongoing discussions about hero points in the local game is what is heroic for each class and character. It is subjective of course. A thief cannot stand against 3 tanks in battle, nor should he. A mage cannot go toe to toe with a foe, unless it's another mage.

However, each class can contribute mightily to all situations. A thief can find out that the person in the bar is bluffing or lying with his sense motive check. He can help the party avoid traps. He can backstab. A mage can cast, dispel, buff, enable a tank to do damage to a monster by tuning his weapon to the right type of damage. A priest can risk all to keep the party alive. He can also cast important spells to influence the success of combat. The fighter can risk much to keep the others in the party free to do their needed tasks. They can bravely stand while the others support him.

Online, people seem to be shy about asking for hero points and the DMs don't want to take the time to go back and read a combat to award them. So my solution to that is to have a card handy when posting each day and award them as you see them. You can even announce them "during" combat with the understanding that they cannot be applied during this combat.

Some have asked what is the difference between good role playing and heroism. Usually if a character is being played well, I award him with xp and success in role playing situations, not hero points. Hero points demand risk and success which usually come in combat, but not always. Some role-playing situations are dangerous and contain risk which could earn a hero point.

In the recent double battle in the Storm Dragons game, over a dozen hero points have been used by people in the party to help us make saves mostly. Occasionally to reroll an important to hit or possible critical roll. On one occasion, low damage was rolled and a hero point was used to reroll those dice.

Edited and uploaded by Rob on 29 Nov 2015.