Hero Points, do you use them in your games?

[Fumble Jack]

Hi, everyone, just a question. Hero points mentioned in DMG I forget what page as I'm AFB atm, but I think it's around Sanity & Honor as optional, additional abilities.

Anywho, do you use them in your games, whether player or DM, and do you feel they add or take away from the abilities of any of the classes & why?

[Paeleus]

I have used the Sanity star in a Scifi quasi-horror campaign. It was pretty cool.

In my weekly low-magic, 8 hr short rest, medieval setting we use both Honor and Morality. I'm ok with it and have seen good and bad of it.

Morality hasn't popped up to much, but Honor has been used to make important checks, as in convincing the suspicious ruler that you are not connected with the bandits who are raiding his people's farms.

In short, it can be a clever way of subtly railroading a campaign, keeps PC's from going completely murderhobo, but should be used in moderation.

[MaxWilson]

Hi, everyone, just a question. Hero points mentioned in DMG I forget what page as I'm AFB atm, but I think it's around Sanity & Honor as optional, additional abilities.

Anywho, do you use them in your games, whether player or DM, and do you feel they add or take away from the abilities of any of the classes & why?

No, but I use something vaguely similar: karma points, which allow the good guys to escape from horrible fates in improbable (rule-breaking) ways, at the cost of allowing bad guys to do the same at some future point in time chosen by the DM. Originally it was intended to be my failsafe in case I was ever tempted to fudge to preserve a plotline (players would still get a reward in the form of karma for making me save the bad guy in unfair ways) but it has turned out to be the reverse: allows the players to do more dangerous and interesting things because they don't have to be afraid of a single TPK destroying their months-long investment in a given PC.

Social pressure from other players ensures that it isn't overused, because I openly gloat whenever I use karma against them and they fear and hate it when I build up a large karma balance. One player wound up spending two karma points in one game session hunting for roc eggs solo on a whim* (he'd fail a stealth check, try to run from the roc, get eaten, and then be like, "I'm spending karma so that didn't happen") and I thought another player was going to hit him.

* He wanted to try to raise tame baby rocs as mounts. He knew it was unlikely to work but wanted to try anyway.

[Mr.Moron]

I've been using "Hero Points" in my D&D games for some time now. Though it's my own system and not the one that is the DMG since I've been using roughly the same system since my 3.5 days. Which is as follows:

Players start with 1 Hero Point.
Players get 1 Hero Point each level up (including first so they technically start with 2 unless we're doing some weird "Level 0" type start)
Players get 1 "Temporary" Hero Point each session, which isn't retained if not spent that session.

The exact bonuses have varied over the years but 1 Hero Point has generally been worth a re-roll, a spell slot or a +4. While 2 has been worth "Plot Armor" where it means if the PC dies mechanically, they can spend 2 Hero Points an death gets downgraded to something like disfigurement, loss of a limb or something major trauma. Generally with long-term story implications but only short->medium term mechanical determinants.

My last game 1 point could be spent like inspiration, to re-use a short rest ability that had been spent. 2 could be used for plot armor, to use a long-rest ability that had spent or recover abilities as though you had taken short rest (without actually taking one).


I will sometimes add effects to magic items or grant custom abilities that key off spending hero points. Generally things that represent using an usual force of will, or tapping into unstable energies that are powerful but unreliable etc.. etc..

[Fumble Jack]

In my 5th ed game I do use them. They do remind me of the force points from Saga edition a bit. As for Honor & Sanity, I haven't really implemented them in a game as of yet.

However I do have to remind my players to use them, they have a tendency to forget. A few interactions I see with minor abuse when it comes to hero points is when applying additional dice to a roll from such as the boost from the bard ability (name escapes me atm) & I believe one or two of the battlemaster maneuvers that boost an attack with superiority dice. I've ruled it use on or the other in my game, not both.

I find the karma system you have interesting MaxWilson.
I also like the hero points as inspiration, may have to borrow that Mr.Moron. Plot armor I'm less a fan of but it's an intriguing system, nonetheless.

[gfishfunk]

Some of the guys that I do not presently game with (they live a ways away) use inspiration to add features in the terrain or provide convenient items / people, similar to STar Wars FFG destiny points. Similar to Hero Point usage, but a little different.

[Balain]

I am not sure the link, I will have to look. Our group is using a chip system. Printed out this pdf on labels, cut out the "chips" and stuck them to poker chips.

The players draw a chip at each major arc, if they have used their chip and they roleplay their background/personality types what ever it is called again they can draw a chip, also if it just seems like they did something worthy of a chip.

Chips include things like, get a second wind, automaticlly make a death save, add 5 to a save roll. One idea from the dmg We tried including was a plot point. out of the set of chips is one plot point chip, which allows the player( with some advice from the others) to make a change in the campaign. It can be pretty much anything, with some agreements between both dm and players.

"There is a secret escape tunnel in this room that we missed before." Has to be accepted by the dm. "The entire multiverse implodes causing every living, unliving and divine thing be unmade". Everyone agrees this would be bad( unless the games is going really badly lol)

Each player can only have one chip at most. Chips canbe given to another player, if the new player has no chip.

[JohnDoe]

hero points can definitely make some classes very powerful, especially with trade-off abilities like Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master. If you save them for deadly encounters they can be pretty devastating.

Any situation that might actually kill a character, won't. It messes with combat too much in my opinion, so I usually restrict such bonuses to role playing

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If I do it, it's through the alignment system, which I convert into a DM mechanic.

Choosing alignment is honestly ridiculous. Players can't just claim their alignment.

Evil people don't think they're evil...

So often a party turns into a posse of murder hobos --- going around killing things just to kill them, or to take what they have. They bribe, they intimidate, deceive, and lie constantly to manipulate people... And of course they'll claim they're neutral good.

They might be working with the law as a means to satisfy their own ends, but they're the furthest thing from egalitarian or philanthropic...They're very likely Lawful Evil if they like killing and pillaging whenever the law permits.

This is going to create opposition, in one way or another. It gives players much more influence over their story.
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Every time someone hurts, kills, coerces etc when they don't have to... I'll track it.

Use the Sowing Rumors mechanic to see how long it takes for word to spread. NPCs will be more or less friendly/hostile towards them.

If you have a reputation, your persuasion, intimidation, etc get bonuses, the static DC on NPC's changes, you get advantage, etc.

[X3r4ph]

Haven't tried hero points, but use inspiration points now and again. But I mostly forget to reward players with them. :/ New magic items seems to work great as a reward :D


I am not sure the link, I will have to look. Our group is using a chip system. Printed out this pdf on labels, cut out the "chips" and stuck them to poker chips.

This is awesome! Could you share a list of the "chips" you have found most balanced? I really wanna implement this in my game :)
There is an element of chance, all players will receive one, and I could reward extra chips for exceptional roleplay. I love this idea.

[Mjolnirbear]

I have used the Angry DM's inspiration method. I love it.

TL:DR version:
Everyone starts the session with inspiration.
Inspiration can only be spent on an action related to a personality trait, bond, ideal or flaw. You gain advantage, or impose disadvantage.

If you don't have inspiration, you can claim a setback. You get disadvantage, or impose advantage, on a roll related to the same traits. Also, you can setback the story: this NPC could tell you about the secret tunnel, but your flaw is that you are unsufferably superior and the NPC refuses to help. If you claim a setback, you get Inspiration.

Alternative rules: the DM can impose a setback on a player for the same personality traits. "Dude, says right on your sheet that you are too trusting of beautiful people. You get disadvantage to resist the charm of the dryad." this has to be done very carefully or you risk minimising player agency but it can help prevent munchkins from abusing the system.



This works amazingly. If your player is all about roll-playing they always get at least one per session. But it encourages character development for those that are interested and rewards those that roleplay their flaws and ideals.