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View Full Version : [4E] Hero Points: looking for comments



gman
2008-06-03, 01:38 PM
First, this idea was inspired by the wonderful FYIA tokens descibed here, which let you play tokens to turn a failure into a success or a success into a critical success:
http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/dds-fyia-tokens/

I love these, but I was hoping to really accentuate the coolness they can achieve, and encourage players to roleplay and be descriptive in battles.

So my version basically allows you to play a Hero Point to achieve any effect you descibe, as long as your description is 1) cool and 2) justifies why the action is possible for your character.

To really make them cool, if you spend one or more regular 4E action points at the same time, you can extend your action too accomplish two impossible feats at once. Because of their free-form nature this has to be adjudicated by the DM on a case-by-case basis. I like this because it means the PCs can be more heroic the longer they've been going without rest - this encourages long days of adventuring by balancing out the use of daily powers. Also, I thought that narrating a downside could be allowed to count as an alternative for an action point, allowing more 'epic' feeling deeds and roleplaying possibilities.

On to the nitty-gritty, I'm thinking that players will get hero points for each level, one at heroic tier, two at paragon, three at epic, and I might allow one to be carried over, but not more than that as I want to be sure players use them.

My main concern is balance: I think this makes the players considerably more powerful, especially the most creative players. This isn't necessarily bad though as I usually run high-powered games. The problem is that a smart group will almost certainly save these points for the BBEG if they can possibly help it. So, to even that up I propose limiting them to one hero-point per encounter, and giving the BBEG-types points of their own: elite monsters get one and solo monsters get two, and the can use them all up in their one encounter. I might add in some sort of no one hit KO's rule, or allow elite and solo monsters to escape them through their own awesomeness on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, a couple of examples of what a hero point can do:

1) A ranger can fire an arrow into the eye of the enemy wizard hiding behind three ogre minions by richocheting it off the wall.
2) The ranger fires her arrow so hard that the arrow powers through the chest and heart of each ogre before hitting the wizard. (+3 Action Points)
3) Because she fired so hard, the ranger's bow snaps and is useless until repaired. (2 action points)
4) Dodge a blow from a flanking enemy causing him to hit his ally instead, and then take his legs out knocking him prone in your square and stunning him. (+1 action point)
5) Disassemble the flame jet trap in such a way that you can use it as an impromptu flamethrower
6) After being dropped amid a group of monsters, suddenly rise back up through a collosal effort of will, surprising them, and swing your might maul in a 360 degree arc, hitting each of them. (+1 action point, or fall back down exhausted afterwards; or, make a critical hit on each of them by spending another action point)
7) Plunge off a 60ft cliff onto the enemy mindflayer below, for auto crit damage and falling damage to both of you. For +1 action point, roll with the fall for no damage and spring onto the second illithid for another crit.

So what does everyone think, particularly if you've seen the books (I haven't yet)? How much more powerful will the players be, and should I send tougher encounters at them as well as giving tough monsters the same ability?

Thanks!

Azerian Kelimon
2008-06-03, 01:52 PM
You can't spend more than one action point per encounter, and some of the things you describe can be done with powers.

Next time, please, PLEASE wait 'till you have the books before proposing houserules.