Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

[kirakane]

I often find myself wishing for some sort of hero point system in 5th edition especially when playing grenes like pulp or golden age supers where a daring do attitude quickly turns into daring don't because the safe route is far more practical and likely to succeed. There's often the need to fudge rolls or do tasks that must succeed or even just tempering bad dice rolls.

 

Does anyone have a house rule hero point system where people can spend some limited pool of hero points to help the outcome of actions?

[Monolith]

Take a look at the Luck power under Option #2. That is very similar to Karma/Hero Points of other game systems.

[Aroooo]

There was a long thread at the temp forums on this issue. In Hero rules, Luck is the [easiest/best] way to do it. Just have everyone buy a d6 of Luck. There were a lot of other house rules mentioned, but i didn't save the thread...

 

Aroooo

[Derek Hiemforth]

Our group has used some special cards for this sort of thing. They're just done up in a word processor and printed on cardstock.

 

Usually, a small number of cards are given out at the start of a campaign, and future cards have to be earned. You earn cards for things like particularly heroic actions, outstanding roleplaying, unusually clever tactics or problem-solving, and so on. They're given aside from and in addition to regular experience points. Each card is only good once; when played, it's turned over to the GM.

 

The cards exist metagame... on the player level, not the character level. So if a player has characters in more than one campaign using the same type of cards, he or she can use their cards with any characters, not just the character they were playing with when they earned the cards. Players can also trade cards, or give cards to other players if they wish.

 

In my current Champions game, there are several different types of cards, each on a different color cardstock:

• Super Card: This is the default card, and the most common. You are as likely to get a Super Card as you are all the other types combined. When played, you get +2 (or equivalent) to any action. (+2 to CV, +2 DC, +2 to a Skill Roll, etc.) All of the cards below are more specific. They give a larger bonus, but can only be applied in certain situations. However, they can each also be used as a Super Card.
  
• Hero Card: This card allows you to immediately take an action (just as if you had a Phase coming up right then). However, you can only play it if you are directly trying to save the life of another.
  
• Clue Card: You play this card when stuck in an investigation, puzzle-solving, or tactical situation, and the GM provides a useful piece of information.
  
• Combat Card: This card grants a +5 to any combat action. (+5 OCV, +5 DCV, +5 DC, etc.)
  
• People Card: Play this card to receive as favorable a reaction as reasonably possible from any NPC.
  
• Skill Card: This card grants a +5 to any non-combat action. (+5 to any Skill Roll, etc.)
  

- Derek

[nblade]

Some sort of luck power variant, would be best. I know I've had a few thoughts about it myself. I've sketched out a system for luck and unluck that sort of follows some ideas from the optional luck info in the FRED. Since none of the players currently have luck nor unluck I haven't had a chance to see if works well in a game.

[ogier300]

On the other boards, I suggested buying multiple dice of Luck as Recoverable Charges, where recovering was contingent on doing something appropriately dramatic.

 

6 Drama Point : Luck 4d6 (20 Active Points); 1 Recoverable (Do something dramatic) Charges (-1 1/4), Limited Power (Only useable in Dramatic Situations; -1)

[GradonSilverton]

I like to keep luck simple....

 

Everyone gets 1 or 2 luck point that can ONLY be used to save themselves from imminent danger (or on rare occasions, save their companions). Just like aborting, no Offensive actions.

 

After they are used, Luck will return as a GM reward when the player does something deserving..Like Exceptional RolePlaying, Giving themselves up for Another, ect.

[Checkmate]

Dramatic Licence

 

I just award bonus for a particularly "cool" stunt. If Swashbuckler man wants to jump off the balcony to a hanging light (couldn't for the life of me spell chandaleir) to swing out a window and he could have just said "I full move to the window and jump out it" I'll always let the player succeed. Hmm rolled a 17 on your acrobatics, well you made it due to a bonus for coolness.

[Starhawk]

For my game, I give out "brownie points" which can be used to re-roll dice. A PC can get a brownie point for things like good role playing, clever use of powers, a good idea, bringing the GM donuts, or something like that. Generaly 1 BP is used for 1 re-roll.

[Klytus]

These are the house-rules I in my games...

 

Karma/Hero Points

Each player starts the game with 1 Hero Point. Thereafter, for every 10 points of experience a character earns, they get 1 point of Karma. Karma points can alter die rolls or generate other effects to the benefit of the players.

 

Karma Spent & Effects

 

1 Point: A player may re-roll: to-hit, activation, skill check, Find Weakness, Perception or any other similar roll for determining success or failure. A player spending 1 Karma may Push Above and Beyond as high as they wish without an EGO roll.

 

2 Points: Players may re-roll any damage/effect roll. They can force any NPC re-roll to-hit dice as described above.

 

3 Points: Players may re-roll any portion of a damage/effect roll, (i.e., keeping all the 5s and 6's). An NPC can be forced to re-roll for damage/effect.

 

Variable: Players may modify any to-hit type roll by one point for each point of Karma. NPC rolls may NOT be affected in this way.

 

Guidelines: A player may spend as much Karma at a time as they wish, but there are limits on how it may be spent. For "to-hit" type rolls, a player can re-roll as often as he wishes until Karma runs out. The same rule applies for damage/effect rolls. Affecting NPCs is handled in the same way. However, one cannot ask the GM to make an opponent re-roll to-hit once damage/effect has been rolled.

 

Karma may also be spent to modify some of the more nebulous aspects of the game. For example, if the player has Luck, they can elect to spend Karma before the game starts to guarantee good luck. It may not be used to buy-off bad Unluck; it is, after all, a Disadvantage. If a player is doing an activity like searching for somebody, working on a long-term project, and so on, the GM may permit them to spend a point of Karma to ensure success rather than resorting to the dice, especially if it is a plot-relevant activity. As always, the exact circumstances and effects are at the discretion of the GM.

 

Players may set up a Karma Pool. This is a communal Karma reserve, as it were, from which any player may draw Karma when needed. To build it, a player simply contributes at least one point of their Karma for allocation to the Karma Pool. Only players who have placed points into the pool may use Karma from it. This lets individual members of a team have access to more Karma than their experience would normally allow (one of the benefits of teamwork). If a player should leave a team, they also take their contribution to the group's Karma Pool. Because of this, players need to keep track of how much Karma is personal and how much is in the Pool. In order to use Karma from the Pool, a player must publicly declare that he wants to use Pool points. If at least half of the other players agree, then Karma from the Pool can be used. If not… better luck next time.

 

Karma does refresh. Whether it does so at the end of each Chapter, or each Session, depends on the scope of the adventure and the will of the GM.

[GradonSilverton]

One things that I've seen from the ideas here is that most allow the "Karma" to effect offense without and danger to the character.

 

I've been involved with a system (which I found acceptable but wouldn't run in my games) in which the Karma points weren't handed out prior to playing....I a character need something they would request it before a roll for offense and after a roll for defense....

 

Every time someone used Karma points, they kept a record...before each session, the GM would roll 3d6 for the Karma points per character, if the GM rolled lower than the Karma point total a character had, then the Scales of Balance would have to be tipped back against the Hero...IE, bad stuff would happen to you today....You might miss a attack that was at a critical point....etc. This depended on what the GM rolled under your score by (Ie someone with 6 Points and the GM rolls a 5 might have something small happen; but if you had run up say 12, and the GM rolled a 4, then the Character better be away from this guy when the virtual hand of God spanks him!!)

 

When the GM rolled under your point total, you lost the points you accumilated and returned to zero.....

 

Again I personally dont like the use of these things for Offense (see my Luck Point Post), but if that occures there need to be side effects.

[tiger]

I've never thought of awarding points above and beyond EP. I did for a villain campaign I was/do run, but that's specific to the campaign instead of money

[JakSpade]

I haven't tested this yet, but it should work.

 

At the beginning of every gaming session, each character begins with 3 "chips" (and I would use poker chips or such) which they can spend during play. When they do heroic or cool stuff, they get another chip.

 

When a character spends a chip, he get's a free 15 real points to spend during his action this phase. And he can spend it on almost anything he can wrap his brain around. As an example, if he needed to roll better, he can spend the 15pts on skill levels on his OCV or DCV, which, if they cost 5pts, he would get a +3 bonus. No rerolls necessary (you don't want that much rerolling anyway, some things just can't be done). And they can spend as many hero chips as they want.

 

The player can choose to spend the points on more than just levels... +3d6 Energy Blasts, +PD/+ED Force Field, +5" Superleap (0END), etc... the GM has final call on what can't be done...

 

This little mechanic allows normal heroes to barely escape disaster, leap that gorge, and shoot just good enough to drop that wild Rhino...

 

Hope this helps some,

Jak

[Greg K.]

re: Hero Points

 

Heres a thought

Back in Adventurer's Club #5, George MacDonald suggested the idea of using an unspent experience point to guarantee that the character makes a roll.

[GradonSilverton]

Re: re: Hero Points

 

Originally posted by Greg K.

Heres a thought

Back in Adventurer's Club #5, George MacDonald suggested the idea of using an unspent experience point to guarantee that the character makes a roll.

My problem with that concept is that experience points aren't cheap... and thats a one shot...spend em for the role and they are gone.

[Thag13]

My house rule is "atta boys!!"

 

My players keep track of those points I award for good role playing, making me laugh, bringing me pizza, pics of naked chicks, candy ect.

 

 

Usually three points gets a re-roll of botched rolls, 5 give a session +1 for a skill and what ever else someone can talk me into.

 

My wife has a badge she got a convention years ago

 

"It's OK, I sleep with the GM"

[bladedancer13]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

In the many Hero system campaigns that we run and that's about 15 just in the hero system alone, we use the the same system that Greg K. mentioned with one added benefit, on to hit rolls not only does it allow an automatic hit but it also causes maximum damage.

 

On the opposite side of the coin we allow chars to spend a "hero point" to get an automatic dodge.

 

When dealing with skills or non-to-hit-rolls we have an automatic success rule.

 

After almost 25 years of using this particular method we strongly feel that this keeps everything pretty level and doesn't allow one character to always make his/her rolls. We do not restrict how many "hero points" a char can use per session as long as they actually have them to spend.

 

Regardless of the campaign type, superhero, fantasy or whatever this has been a very balanced method.

 

Although I would agree that it is indeed expensive to use, sometimes you just gotta get the job done at all cost. Those same cost can sometimes be high.

[Utech]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

Since the OP is specifically interested in increasing the amount of heroic risk-taking in a game, I suggest this:

 

Remember that you as GM can always assign modifiers to rolls. Let your players know that heroic actions and/or excellent roleplaying will always net them some kind of bonus. Let your players know that cowardly (or villainous!) actions and/or poor roleplaying will always burden them with some kind of penalty.

 

After saying all that, do it! Your players will quickly come to realize that playing it safe isn't any better in your games than taking a chance on being heroic -- playing it safe might even be worse!

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

Now that is some serious thread necromancy.

 

Are you related to Vecna or something?

 

TB

[GamePhil]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

Now that is some serious thread necromancy.

 

Are you related to Vecna or something?

 

TB

 

Glad you said that, I couldn't figure out for the life of me why in all those posts no one mentioned Pulp HERO. Then I looked back and saw the dates. Yowtch.

 

Many good suggestions, and I do like the necromantic post saying "Apply penalties for [undesirable] actions" for certain types of games, though, so it was all worthwhile.

[CourtFool]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

I have used the Character Advancement, Experience and Rewards suggested from Digital Hero 3 for Pointless Champions.

 

For straight bonuses, you could use Overall Skill Levels with Recoverable Charges and Only While Doing Something Heroic.

[torelin32]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I personally like Derek's idea for using cards in his game. It made me think somewhat about my game, and I decided that for my PC's in my game, each would get 1 card to start with, and for PC's with luck they would get to roll against their luck in the standard to fashion to determine how many extra cards they would get.

 

The only limitation I' am placing on it, is that they can't trade amongst themselves and the maximum they can have at anytime is five in their hand.

 

Anyway I made some cards based on Derek's idea for my Bleach game and I would like you guy's to take a look and let me know what you think.

 

Thanks to everyone in advance.

[Fearghus]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

I played in a game where the GM did something very simple. We received Karma points as a special perk when we did something particularly impressive (either a good idea, solved a mystery, or risked our own safety to protect others etc.) The award was kind of arbitrary but The GM tended to pass at least one or two karma points per session. So they were not uncommon, but not expected either.

 

Now a karma point was basically a 10 point skill level you got to use for one action. then it was spent. so if you had 4 of them saved up you could add two damage classes to an attack or a +4 to hit or a +4 to a skill roll or any combination you choose. It made adding damage kinda tough, but adding bonuses to hit rather easy.

[GoldenAge]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

Back in the day we used to use EF Points (Errol Flynn Points).

Whenever you did something that Errol Flynn would be proud of you gained a point to be spent later on amazing feats.

 

Nowadays, I allow my players to stockpile experience to be used in extreme circumstances.

(I find using EXP deters the players from re-rolling dice except in the most dire of situations)

[tesuji]

Re: Hero/Fate/Karma points for Hero System

 

FATE DICE !d6 luck -2 (never recovers) ap=5 rp=2

 

basically i gave one use dice of luck and allowed many of the various uses under the luck power.

 

I used these instead of the XP award for the various roleplaying stuff so everyone got the same XP but they got differing amounts of FATE based on what and how they did.