Hero Point House Rules

[AslanC]

So what house rules have you guys worked up for Hero Point use?

For us, since the players tend to cluck over them until they have enough for a Hero Die, I have made when a Hero Point is spent they add 1d6 to the Result (no explosions) so they always get 1, but might get up to 6. Works pretty well without unbalancing the game.

What you guys got?

[BASHMAN]

I like that one! I might swipe that!

So could you spend 3 Hero Points to add a +3d6 Result bonus to a roll?

[AslanC]

I suppose that would be the way it would work yes, might need a limit of no more than 3 HP used this way per page.

[Dustland]

That is a great idea!

[MrJupiter]

That's a cool idea! It gives much more value to the puny Hero Point.

However, the guarenteed 1 to 6 points added to a roll greatly outweigh the traditional 1 Hero Point for a +1 result bonus to dice rolls. Players will never just spend 3 hero points to get a +3 result bonus to make that success result they need; they'd spend 3 Hero Points and get a +3 to +18 result bonus (and hope that they got 10 points more than needed for a possible extra benefit - where it may apply).

I'd like to suggest that the player cashes the Hero Point in for a risky dice roll that could get them more than the +1 but at the 1 in 6 chance that their gamble could fail! This proposal, called a RISK ROLL, allows the player to spend their Hero Point to receive a 1d6-1 result bonus (with no matching benefits).

The player might fail to get any benefit with the roll but has an equal chance to score a +5 result bonus. It’s a small risk with a potentially big payout: but it’s still a risk…

[BASHMAN]

Actually if you spend one and are gambling on getting a 3 or more... and you roll a 1 or 2- you are already gambling, and thus there is already risk involved.

What I might do (as a house rule- not as a core rule) is allow 1 HP to be +1, 2HP to be +1d6, so 3 would be +1d6+1. Etc.

[Sunslinger]

The rule - as proposed by Aslan - means that spending a hero die on a roll would no longer makes sense in most cases. Only if you have a multiplier higher than x5 it would be beneficial to use a hero die (as the equivalent of 5 hero points) as opposed to spending a couple of hero points.

Personally I like the later versions: either letting players roll 1d-1 per hero point or allowing heroes to spend two hero points to get +1d6.

[Baelor]

If you want risk, you could require that the player has to state how many HP he is going to spend before he rolls them. Thus, he still risks failure if he does not spend the HP need to guarantee success on a low roll.

I actually like the idea that spending a few HP might let you get an 'enhanced success' of 10 over your target number. add that to requiring the player to state his risk before he roll and you add some drama to the roll.

We had a situation in a session last night. In a time travel mishap, NYU briefly was overrun by a half-dozen allosauruses during the time paradox that creates the supervillain, Doctor Tempus. One of the strong characters got the idea to grapple a dino fly over and throw it at Doc Tempus. It worked, and the bad Doctor was buried under dinos as the two heavyweights among the heroes tossed dino after dino his way. I think the players would have been very happy to risk a few points to improve their chances of being able to grapple and throw the dino in a single turn.

[AslanC]

The rule - as proposed by Aslan - means that spending a hero die on a roll would no longer makes sense in most cases. Only if you have a multiplier higher than x5 it would be beneficial to use a hero die (as the equivalent of 5 hero points) as opposed to spending a couple of hero points.

How so?

With my system you add 1 - 6 to the RESULT total, IE: I have a multiplier of x3, I roll 2d6 and get 3 (1 & 2) giving me a total of 9.

I throw a Hero Point and roll getting a 4, which I add to the 9, giving me 13 total.

With a Hero Die, the roll is added Pre-Multiplier AND explodes if it matches either of the original 2d6.

Same scenario as above, I roll my 2d6, get 3, then throw a Hero Die, getting a 4, now I have 7 x 3 for a total of 21.

I see that as a BIG difference.

[Mercer]

Consider this house rule swiped

[BASHMAN]

The rule - as proposed by Aslan - means that spending a hero die on a roll would no longer makes sense in most cases. Only if you have a multiplier higher than x5 it would be beneficial to use a hero die (as the equivalent of 5 hero points) as opposed to spending a couple of hero points.

Personally I like the later versions: either letting players roll 1d-1 per hero point or allowing heroes to spend two hero points to get +1d6.

Don't forget that these are a result bonus that cannot explode. Being able to explode dice is VERY valuable. As is, 4HP is worth the same as 4d6 which is the comparable to 2d6x2... that cannot explode... so you don't need a x5 multiplier for a Hero Die to be worth it. [/i]

[Baelor]

1 HP for a +1d6 result bonus also makes the Hero Point useful in situations where spending a hero die is not worthwhile, which I like. Particularly, I refer to skill use, and/or to rolls when a player has a low multiplier.

Example: Most skills only require a 10 difficulty to succeed for a normal task. If the hero attempting only has a x1 or even a x2 multiplier, this can still fail with regularity, Spending a Hero Die makes little sense because of the low multiple and low reward for exceeding base success. AND achieving success may require several Hero Points using the original system.

Using this model, I might get away with using only one or two HP to make such a roll into a success. So I get to save more HP [and thus HD] for the cinematic stuff.

[Jukeboxer]

AslanC,
I'm really liking the sound of your house rule! I've been feeling like Hero Points are under-valued, but I think this could be just the thing to give them more OOMPH! We will give this a shot in my game for sure.

[kevperrine]

Hhhhmmm....
I'd be more apt to listen to what BASHMAN thinks of the proposed idea. Mainly because he's got the most (I'd guess) play experience with BASH!.

I have a little descent experiences a dozen+ games as Narrator and Player.

My take (at current) is WHY change or House Rule Hero Points. I don't think they're meant to be the big gun in the original usage.

1:1 use is not a bad thing.... I think one of the issues comes with Narrators who don't let the Hero Points flow as much. My pal Karl Green tried an experiment awhile back that I suggested. It worked.

The Experiment:
He was concerned that his players were hoarding Hero Points/Dice. Not spending them at all. Worried in saving them for "save or die moments". He was bothered that they weren't spending them in-game for fun high-superhero actions and stunts.
What he was doing was forgetting to give them DURING game for heroic actions, cool role-play, saving people, etc... Instead (knowing he would often forget to give them out during game-play) he would give more out at the beginning of game Issues...

I suggested that in doing so... he wasn't showing the players that their actions and in-game role-play, etc... WOULD get reward. They weren't seeing that the "pool" would replenish at all...
I suggested trying to give out more in-game (putting a big bag of chips or something in front of him as he Narrated) to make sure and give out during game.

He did.
It worked.


Point being here...
I don't think you NEED to increase the "value" of Hero Points if they're flowing regularly enough. If a player has 2 Hero Points regularly... then YEAH, they'll want/need each to "matter" more. But if they have 6+ average on-hand, they won't NEED to roll an extra die. All they need to do is spend them 1:1 ... as per RAW.


That's my experience.
And my opinion based on play and seeing them used.
-kev-

[MysteriousStranger]

I'd be more apt to listen to what BASHMAN thinks of the proposed idea. Mainly because he's got the most (I'd guess) play experience with BASH!.

You can find BASHMAN's feedback in this thread, where he said:

I like that one! I might swipe that!