Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

[Dr Rotwang!]

Wow.

 

Okay, I'll be brief: In White Wolf's tremendously cool Adventure! pulp RPG, PCs have "Inspiration Points" which allow them to mess with the setting and plot ("Oh, no, I DO have a derringer in my purse -- even at the opera!") and such. They also allow for increased success in tasks (spend an I-point, double your dice pool!).

 

How, then, to model I-points in HERO?

 

The idea being that I can use the "Dramatic Editing" mechanic untouched from A! (points spent alter 'reality'), but also provide an increased success, a decreased amount of damage taken (maybe temporary rPD?), and other crazy stuff like that.

 

Or do I even need to bother, and just give everyone free points in Luck?

 

I dunno.

 

Do you?

 

Thanks in advance!

[James Gillen]

The way Luck works in 5th Ed., "dramatic editing" might actually be feasible. If you still want Inspiration to be disposable points, just make the Luck dice Independent.

 

JG

[Tom McCarthy]

I give out 'plot points' for roleplaying, inspiration or actions to drive the plot forward, creating a painted custom mini of your figure, or doing other things above and beyond the call.

 

I let them be used for dramatic edits (an idea seen both in Adventure! and DC Heroes; GM approval required), bonuses to OCV or DCV (3 max), rerolling dice (one die of 3D6 or all 1's in the damage roll), automatic hits on agents, or as 1/5th of an experience point. I typically give out about 1 per player per session, but occasionally a player will accumulate a high tally. Anytime they have more than 8, 5 of them automatically convert to 1 XP.

[Delthrien]

Perhaps...

 

It might be better to buy Luck with non-recoverable charges. Independent is part of a focus limitation and if purchased that way, could be taken away by someone else... which could be cool if the Luck is gained through a token or something (lucky coin, rabbit's foot, etc.)

 

I'd use the Optional Rule for Luck where you roll your Luck dice and the total is used as modifiers to die rolls and the like. I don't have FREd with me so someone else will have to supply the specifics...

 

You could either allot the Luck to each player or you could just make them buy the points when generating the character.

[Chris Goodwin]

I played in a Champions game last year that used plot points. That game has a web page at http://www.karakash.com/gaming/champions/ Go to the Rules link for the notes on how they do it.

[ArmlessTigerMan]

ground_rules

 

Check the House Rules section near the bottom. The hardest part was getting the players to use the rules; most of them were stuck in their 'let's use the Hero System to quantify EVERYTHING' mindset. But once I explained that it was supposed to give the players the ability to control exceptional moments of skill or luck, instead of having the GM control everything, they got into it.

[Dr Rotwang!]

Wow! Fonz-tastic! Thanks, Armless Tiger Man!

[st barbara]

Re: Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

 

Not only do i think that the idea of Ãnspiration points" (or "luck Points"if you want to call them that) taken from Ädventure"is a good idea I also liked their "Special Abilities" things like "man for all seasons"and "with a single bound"sound like good special abilities for a pulp type game . I am sure that referees (and players) can come up with others of their own. (One I thought of was "tough as nails"which gives plusses against interrogation and against fist/club/ blunt trauma attacks in hand to hand combat. A good idea for two fisted heros who don't know when they are licked !)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

 

Amazing Adventures! is a HERO pulp campaign which directly adapts the Inspiration rules from Adventure! You can check out the approach by following the "Meanwhile, back at the lab.." link from the homepage.

[Vondy]

Re: Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

 

I've handed out expendable luck dice (1d6 Luck, 1 Charge, Independent) in lieu of, or in addition to, experience awards in the past. Players can burn as many at a time as they see fit. It could easily be interpreted in a similar way to Inspiration Points in terms of effects for success. Or you could just hand out luck points if you don't introducing "foreign mechanics."

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

 

You may find inspiration (pun intended) from Scott Bennie's greatly expanded Luck Dice options: the Luck Pool System and Luck-based Talents.

[The Monster]

Re: Adventure! Inspiration Points in Pulp HERO

 

In our new Champions campaign, we're using "possibilities" and the card deck from TORG (basically the same as the Masterbook, or so I've heard). The cards generally give bonuses of +1-3, well within Hero ranges; everyone draws one after segments 6 and 12, and we even came up with uses for their intiative and "approved actions" sections of the cards. It's highly experimental, but I think it gives players a feeling that they aren't ruled by die rolls - so many games have such devices nowadays. It's not the same as Inspiration, but can be used for some of the same flavor.

 

In our Adventure campaign, we rarely use I-points for dramatic editing. I dunno if it's just not our style, or we have a flexible enough GM that we all jump in anyway.