DMG optional rule a Hero Points - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Archon007 Jan 08, 2015 14:08:52	Anyone use the Hero Point rule? I'm about to start the Hoard of the Dragon Queen and after reading through it not only is it heavy combat focus but early on almost every encounter could wipe the party. So I've been thinking of using Hero Points to help the characters and give a more heroic feel
#2 blake_marlowe Jan 08, 2015 18:29:23	i think the suitability of the hero point is dependent in part upon your party composition: have you played with this party before?
#3 Coredump00 Jan 09, 2015 9:03:13	WIthout coming down as for or against them, I don't think Hero points are necessary for HotDQ. the module can catch folks unaware and lead to a TPK, but there are things you can do to address that. 1) Warn them about kobolds. These buggers are just plain deadly to low level characters. I would just tell them about their Pack Tactics ahead of time. 2) Explain that while 'sitting out' the adventure is not very heroic, nor fun; not every mission revolves around killing everything in sight. Show EX: During mission one, rescuing the church is a very very deadly frontal assault. But you could just hit the back door, and take the bodies inside..... or some of the PCs could hit and run the patrol, and make them give chase. Or use some illusions, etc.
#4 Ninja_Ferret Jan 09, 2015 21:40:12	I am using hero points. It is helping the figher of the group more then anyone else. The sorcerer has yet to use one.
#5 Archon007 Jan 09, 2015 22:17:33	blake_marlowe wrote:
#6 Ninja_Ferret Jan 09, 2015 22:36:41	yes i am. My party is now 4th level. The reason the sorcerer hasnt used one yet is that all of her spells ether auto hit or it based on the enemies save instead of her own attack roll.
#7 Rhenny Jan 10, 2015 9:41:57	Funny, I was excited to use hero points as a dm, but I asked one of my players about it and he said we shouldn't because it would make the game too easy. I'm running Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle converted to 5e. It all depends on how challenging the DM makes the adventures (or how challenging the adventures are) I guess. Right now, even though I've run 14 sessions, I'm still in the "feeling it out" stage so I'm erring on making it easier rather than making it too difficult. I like the hero points though, especially to encourage heroic play. Maybe they could be limited to just using them for checks and saves (rather than attack rolls) or special moves that the PC wants to make...For example, if the PC wants to jump up on a ledge, climb up and balance on it so that he can reach a lever that is higher up, or if the PC wants to try to dive under a slicing blade trap. I do think that giving 5 to low level PCs is too much. I might experiment with 1 per tier per day to start. Again, it does depend on how heroic and OP you want your PCs to feel/act.
#8 Archon007 Jan 10, 2015 10:05:16	I do think 5 is too many at 1 st level. We play a lot of FATE and are used to fate points which is basically the same concept. FATE points reset at the beginning of each session while Hero points reset only when you level. I don't like that about the concept because I think players will hold on to them. I was thinking more like 1 point every odd level until level 9 which is the max of 5 and they reset every session and can be used on any roll. Just a thought.
#9 Ninja_Ferret Jan 10, 2015 10:36:28	They are pretty cool, I think. Some players may not need to use them, others do. My group is a group of 7 players and Me as the DM (yeah its a lot for 5th edition. And with all of the players not 1 of them wanted to play a healer. So i have got a Wild Sorc, A warlock, A wizard, A ranger, A fighter , A druid, And a rogue (player of the rogue is his first time ever playing DND) I try to hint or ask them is that their final answer. to try to see if they will use the points (maybe it is me trying to remind them they have them or that I want them to succede in the fight) There has been a time or two that they used the points that it didnt help them at all. Giving them less will cause them to hold onto them. the more they will believe they have the more they will use them. right now they are 4th level and have 9 points. they tend to spend atleast a point per battle for most of them. the wild sorc is a special case. I kind of want to make it so they will have a way to use them as well. Say an adjustment to the wild surge or something else.
(Reply to #5) Coredump00	Archon007 wrote:
#11 Archon007 Jan 10, 2015 19:09:52	Coredump00 wrote:

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Archon007

Jan 08, 2015 14:08:52

Anyone use the Hero Point rule?

I'm about to start the Hoard of the Dragon Queen and after reading through it not only is it heavy combat focus but early on almost every encounter could wipe the party. So I've been thinking of using Hero Points to help the characters and give a more heroic feel

blake_marlowe

Jan 08, 2015 18:29:23

i think the suitability of the hero point is dependent in part upon your party composition: have you played with this party before?

Coredump00

Jan 09, 2015 9:03:13

WIthout coming down as for or against them, I don't think Hero points are necessary for HotDQ. the module *can* catch folks unaware and lead to a TPK, but there are things you can do to address that.

1) Warn them about kobolds. These buggers are just plain deadly to low level characters. I would just tell them about their Pack Tactics ahead of time.

2) Explain that while 'sitting out' the adventure is not very heroic, nor fun; not every mission revolves around killing everything in sight.

Show

EX: During mission one, rescuing the church is a very very deadly frontal assault. But you could just hit the back door, and take the bodies inside..... or some of the PCs could hit and run the patrol, and make them give chase. Or use some illusions, etc.

Ninja_Ferret

Jan 09, 2015 21:40:12

I am using hero points. It is helping the figher of the group more then anyone else. The sorcerer has yet to use one.

Archon007

Jan 09, 2015 22:17:33

blake_marlowe wrote:

Ninja_Ferret

Jan 09, 2015 22:36:41

yes i am. My party is now 4th level. The reason the sorcerer hasnt used one yet is that all of her spells ether auto hit or it based on the enemies save instead of her own attack roll.

Rhenny

Jan 10, 2015 9:41:57

Funny, I was excited to use hero points as a dm, but I asked one of my players about it and he said we shouldn't because it would make the game too easy.

I'm running Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle converted to 5e.

It all depends on how challenging the DM makes the adventures (or how challenging the adventures are) I guess.

Right now, even though I've run 14 sessions, I'm still in the "feeling it out" stage so I'm erring on making it easier rather than making it too difficult.

I like the hero points though, especially to encourage heroic play. Maybe they could be limited to just using them for checks and saves (rather than attack rolls) or special moves that the PC wants to make...For example, if the PC wants to jump up on a ledge, climb up and balance on it so that he can reach a lever that is higher up, or if the PC wants to try to dive under a slicing blade trap.

I do think that giving 5 to low level PCs is too much.

I might experiment with 1 per tier per day to start.

Again, it does depend on how heroic and OP you want your PCs to feel/act.

Archon007

Jan 10, 2015 10:05:16

I do think 5 is too many at 1 st level. We play a lot of FATE and are used to fate points which is basically the same concept. FATE points reset at the beginning of each session while Hero points reset only when you level. I don't like that about the concept because I think players will hold on to them.

I was thinking more like 1 point every odd level until level 9 which is the max of 5 and they reset every session and can be used on any roll.

Just a thought.

Ninja_Ferret

Jan 10, 2015 10:36:28

They are pretty cool, I think. Some players may not need to use them, others do.

My group is a group of 7 players and Me as the DM (yeah its a lot for 5th edition. And with all of the players not 1 of them wanted to play a healer. So i have got a Wild Sorc, A warlock, A wizard, A ranger, A fighter , A druid, And a rogue (player of the rogue is his first time ever playing DND)

I try to hint or ask them is that their final answer. to try to see if they will use the points (maybe it is me trying to remind them they have them or that I want them to succede in the fight)

There has been a time or two that they used the points that it didnt help them at all.

Giving them less will cause them to hold onto them. the more they will believe they have the more they will use them. right now they are 4th level and have 9 points. they tend to spend atleast a point per battle for most of them. the wild sorc is a special case. I kind of want to make it so they will have a way to use them as well. Say an adjustment to the wild surge or something else.

(Reply to #5)

Coredump00

Archon007 wrote:

#11

Archon007

Jan 10, 2015 19:09:52

Coredump00 wrote: