Package Bonuses

[Starwolf]

In 4E many packages had a few bonus points included. Usually 0 to 3 points depending on how beneficial the package was (i.e the more useful the package was the lower the bonus). This was intended as an incentive to players to use well designed packages to help more clearly define their characters. What does everyone think, is this a good option? It is one of the few things I really miss about 4E, that IMHO should have been carried over to 5E.

[Mutant for Hire]

My person feeling is that there are two possible bonuses to Package Deals:

 

1. Optional Skill Enhancers.

Say you have a police officer package, you can create a 3-point Skill Enhancer called say, "Police Officer" which reduces all the costs of the skills by one. Other skills which are not manditory in the package or are optional (e.g. 'one of a list') can also be covered by the skill enhancer. This pretty much duplicates the old Package Bonus.

 

2. Package Skill Levels

Either three or five point skill levels, depending on the size of the package. Given that one can get 3-point skill levels that cover everything in a martial art, it seems fair enough to do things for equivalent size skill packages.

[Rob_Knotts]

I don't like the idea of adding a package bonus, arbitrary things like that really rub me the wrong way when it comes ot HERO, but I do like the idea of letting players "get around" the rules. But that I don't mean get around the basic HERO rules, but get around the rules I've set up for the setting. In particular, when if I'm going to ban powers or set up cost minimums for powers in a game, I'll try to offer some package concepts that "break" those rules. As George Carlin said: "My rules, I make'em up!" Likewise I'll break my own rules if it seems appropriate to a package I'm writing up.

 

For example, I've considered banning HKAs, or at least giving them a high minimum for my upcoming FH game (rather have the PCs using swords). However, I'd be perfectly happy including an HKA for a Werewolf or Vampire package, even if I've banned the power or would othewise require it a higher minimum cost than what's listed in the package.

[Monolith]

I personally never cared for Package Bonuses. I always thought the whole point of a character was to have a good character concept; no reason to give free points for something the player should be doing all along. In 5th Edition those 1-3 points would just screw up the cost of the character's Disadvantages (everything breaks down to a 0 or 5 now).

[Markdoc]

Me, I always hated package bonuses, so farewell and good riddance, say I.

 

However, I do use extended skill modifiers, as already noted, which allow GM-defined castes and trades to buy lot sof appropriate skills at a reduced cost.

 

This works well, since it encourages people to buy lots of appropriate skills and also encourages people to specialise, so notaltheplayers havehe same "useful skills" list.

 

cheers, Mark

[Killer Shrike]

Package bonuses worked ok in 4th, but really were just free points.

 

In 5th a GM could give the equivalent of an Everyman skill bonus to any ability he cared to if he wanted to further the idea that some abilities are cheaper for certain groups (represented by package deals). A GM could also allow a 5 point Distinctive Feature or Reputation or any other minor "Disadvantage" for the package that basically just serves as a rebate on the cost (of course the points count against the characters Disadvantage limit, but thats not necessarily all bad either for many characters who struggle to come up with enough flaws and baggage).

[Agent333]

Just wanting to throw my unwanted hat in the ring. At home my racial packages use both the new and old methods. Now, when a race has, say +3 to a stat I consider it an increase to the base and the maximum. Same goes for decreased stats. So, my Hobbits have a base STR of 5 with a max of 15. My Ogres get a base STR of 20 with their max pushed to 30. It's unbalancing, but it makes for internal consistancy IMHO.

 

Next come figured stats. Here I use the old method except I charge only HALF price for the increase or decrease of a figured stat's max. Thus, my dwarves pay only 1 point for a PD max of 10. The elves get one point back for have a PD max of 6.

 

Again, it's all very unbalancing, but I try to keep my packages on a "tit for tat" rule. One stat goes up, another comes down. Except for Dwarves, THEY ROCK!