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 varianor |
Hero Points Tweak |
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Posts: 11302 (02/01/08 16:06:32) Moderator Supreme |
How about "earn as you go" instead of "earn after the fact"?
Put differently, I'm considering giving out Hero Points for taking heroic action, instead of after. You try the heroic action, you get the boost. Thoughts?
My latest works: Faces of Serran: Radinemus and Dark Houses
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Confused Jackal Mage |
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Posts: 5982 (02/01/08 16:31:52) Iron Liege |
I have no problem with this. Taking a page from Contra's book, this is simply instantiating the Cool Things Must
Happen rule.
"Observer-dependent physics undermines the gods' decision 3000 years ago to ban cats from straddling the borders of the
netherworld. We won't have it!"
"I have reservations about reconciling a quantum mechanics thought experiment with egyptian mythology." "Djinn and Juice", Dresden Codak |
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Zaraky |
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Posts: 1181 (02/02/08 11:53:16) Spending some time |
The only problem I see is that this means Hero Points can't be used on non heroic things (like saving yourself). While I like to encourage my players to
use hero points proactively, I don't mind them using them to save themselves. It just means I can throw/play my monsters harder against them.
Unless of course you mean that they get the Hero Point upon doing something Heroic, and then they can choose whether or not to use it. |
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varianor |
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Posts: 11307 (02/02/08 12:48:48) Moderator Supreme |
Zaraky wrote: I think that's an elegant refinement of my original thought. Yes, I would go with that. It encourages Cool Things and Heroic Behavior, but allows the
player the option to save the effort. So to speak.
My latest works: Faces of Serran: Radinemus and Dark Houses
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contraserrene |
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Posts: 578 (02/03/08 12:16:02) Spooky |
In addition to being very permissive with stunts and Cool Stuff, I give out one temporary Hero Point at the start of ever game session. It's good for use
until the end of the night. The players choose who gets it. If they've forgotten to work this out in advance it tends to get "grabbed" by someone
who wants to do something Cool.
This might not work for everyone, but it helps keep things churning at my table. |
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Sslissth |
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Posts: 611 (02/08/08 15:37:24) Shadowy |
Varianor, how about this?
Player: I can't move far enough to save the magister. I want to leap out at the chandelier, use it to swing me far enough so that I fall into the orc's back and knock him off the mage. DM: You get a Hero point if you decide to do this. If you change your mind, no hero point. Player: Cool! Okay, what do I roll? DM: (decides what the roll is) Oh, and you can use your hero point now to add to your roll, or you can save it for later in case you need it. Player: Hmmm.... In the desert there is no mercy...but I am not in the desert now. |
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varianor |
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Posts: 11318 (02/08/08 15:43:36) Moderator Supreme |
LOL! Make people sweat.
My latest works: Faces of Serran: Radinemus and Dark Houses
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Sslissth |
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Posts: 613 (02/08/08 19:30:09) Shadowy |
Was it more or less what you had in mind with your tweak?
In the desert there is no mercy...but I am not in the desert now. |
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varianor |
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Posts: 11320 (02/09/08 05:16:20) Moderator Supreme |
Yes, except that I hadn't considered you would take it back if the PC didn't perform the action. Or that you could save it.
My latest works: Faces of Serran: Radinemus and Dark Houses
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Sslissth |
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Posts: 614 (02/09/08 07:56:34) Shadowy |
Well I mean they can hardly earn a hero point if they don't actually do the heroic action. I see no real reason why he would change his mind, however.
And even the most difficult actions have a big chance, if he uses the hero point he's earning. But by giving him the option of saving it for later (say,
to save his life) it also means he will sometimes choose to risk failing in his heroic actions.
Hmmm. Come to think of it that might not be such a great idea. Can a heroic action be heroic if he fails? Maybe I should change it to "DM: You get a hero point if you *succeed* at doing this. No point if you fail." The problem I see with that is that it encourages players to be heroic only with actions they are likely to succeed at. A warmain loaded up with armor is less likely to succeed at a balance check to balance on the railing, for instance. Doing it that way might discourage people from trying to broaden their characters. However, I am in agreement that waiting to the beginning or end of a session serves no real point. In the desert there is no mercy...but I am not in the desert now. |
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