* summary
* hero points = experience level
* hero points may be spent in a 24 period, after which they 'recharge'
* up to 5 can be spent at once
* max = name level (suggested)
* E, S = full hero points
* F = 1/2 hero points
* P = 0 hero points

In the AD&D® game, players have a lot
of control over their characters’ actions
and performances. A person who plays
intelligently and thoroughly understands
the game can usually direct the fortunes
and progress of his character. But when
the character faces his moment of greatest
peril, the player is often left at the mercy
of the dice. All the clever strategy and
heroism in the world can’t save a charac-
ter from a poor saving throw or an un-
lucky attack roll. The player can only
cross hi fingers, roll the dice, and hope
for the  best.

The “hero points” system described here
is a way to give the players a little more
control over the fate of their characters.
Instead of letting the dice totally control a
crucial situation, a player may use these
hero points to try to affect the dice in the
player’s favor. In certain circumstances, a
player may apply hero points as a bonus
to the character’s die roll, or may use hero
points as a penalty to an opponent’s roll.
Hero points are not a free gift for char-
acters — they must be earned. The DM
may award hero points to a well-played
character who adheres to the aims of class
and alignment. A character who faithfully
serves a chosen cause as he advances in
level is well on the way to becoming a true
hero (or anti-hero, as the case may be).
The dedicated character may use hero
points to attempt the grand, courageous
feats for which the great heroes of myth
and legend are famous.

A true hero of myth or fiction can often
push himself to accomplish some amazing
things. The hero, when confronted with a
life-or-death situation, draws upon a hid-
den reserve, spiritual strength, or gutsy
determination to attempt a seemingly
impossible feat. When facing the most dire
and desperate of circumstances, the hero
can tap this core of inner strength to
surpass his normal abilities, and to over-
come any physical or mental limitations.
To simulate this reserve of inner
strength, each character is entitled to a
pool of hero points. Hero points are a
reflection of a character’s willpower,
determination, luck, skill, divine favor,
devotion to an alignment, and dedication
to a cause. Hero points are not just re-
stricted to good guys: the term “hero” is
used in a loose sense to refer to any char-
acter who fulfills the requirements of his
class and alignment. Good guys earn hero
points, bad guys earn anti-hero points, and
neutral characters earn whatever you
want to call them.

The max. number of hero points in
the pool is equal to the character’s experi-
ence level. Characters with two classes
add 1 hero point to their highest experi-
ence level, and those with three classes,
add 2 points to their highest level. For
example, an elven fighter/magic-user/thief
(4/4/5) would have a maximum of 5 + 2 =
7 hero points in her pool. To limit the
number of hero points available to very
high level characters, some DMs might
wish to halt the gain of hero points when
the character reaches name level.

A character may expend any or all of his
hero points within a 24-hour period (or
however long a campaign day is). Once all
points are used, the character must wait
until the next campaign day to renew the
points in the pool. Unused points at the
end of the day are simply wasted. Points
cannot be hoarded for future use, nor can
they be borrowed from the unused points
of any previous day.

Hero points are expended to try to affect
important die rolls, such as
    “to hit” rolls,
    saving throws,
    or damage rolls.
The player
must declare the use of any hero points
before the roll is attempted. The hero
points are then applied as a bonus or
penalty to the roll. Once the point use is
declared, the hero points are spent regard-
less of what the die roll result may be. If
the character would have made the roll
even without the hero point modifier, then
the hero points are simply wasted. No
more than five hero points may be ex-
pended on any given roll.

When a player elects to apply hero
points to his own die roll, each hero point
translates into a +1 bonus. For instance, if
a fighter uses two hero points for an im-
portant “to hit” roll, the fighter gains a +2
bonus to the roll. Through a mighty effort,
the fighter may expend four hero points to
gain a +4 damage bonus. Hero points may
be used to simulate a bold, heroic effort in
a variety of situations. A character may
spend hero points to gain a better chance
to dodge a dragon’s fiery breath, to win
the initiative in a critical melee round, or
to make a difficult archery shot.

Hero points may sometimes be used to
impose a penalty to an opponent’s die roll,
with each hero point acting as a -1 pen-
alty. The player must always give a sound
reason why he or she may impose such a
penalty. The character must have a clear
and obvious influence over the opponent’s
roll. For instance, a cleric trying to avoid
the swing of an ogre’s club may, through
an intense defensive effort, apply four
hero points as a -4 penalty to the ogre’s
“to hit” roll, or may reduce the ogre’s
damage roll by 4 hp. A bard who tries to
charm a trio of stone giants may spend
three hero points to reduce each giant’s
save vs. spells by-1, by placing greater
power into his song.

Hero points may be used to influence
certain percentile rolls by translating each
hero point into a +5% bonus or -5%
penalty. A thief might expend three hero
points to gain a +15% bonus to pick a
difficult lock. A barbarian might use two
points as a +10% bonus to a “bend bars”
roll. A paladin might try especially hard to
resist a bard’s seductive song by using five
hero points as a -25% penalty to the bard’s
“charm percentage” roll. The DM must
decide which percentile rolls would con-
ceivably be influenced by a character’s
heroic gesture, and which are outside a
player’s control.

Occasionally, a player will suggest using
hero points in a manner that is not easily
translated into a die-roll modifier. In such
an event, the DM must first consider
whether the player’s request is reasonable.
If it is, the DM may then make the effort
to determine how to convert the hero
points into other units, or into time or
distance. The DM should allow a character
to gain a reasonable advantage for his
point use, but not so great an edge that it
exceeds the advantage granted by a die-
roll  bonus.

Jumping: Suppose a thief-acrobat proposes that
she be permitted to apply her hero points
to make vertical leaps and broad jumps
beyond her normal ability. The DM  likes
the idea, but wants to provide such a point
USE for all characters. As different charac-
ter classes use different systems to handle
leaps and jumps (Barbarians roll a 1d6 or
1d4, thief-acrobats use percentile rolls),
the DM decides to simplify matters by
converting hero points directly into units
of distance. So, the DM rules that each
hero point spent may provide an addi-
tional foot of horizontal distance or one-
half foot of vertical height.

Holding Breath: Later in the campaign, the DM prepares
a sea-going adventure. Since a character
might need to hold his breath underwater
during a deep-sea dive, the DM judges a
character may remain underwater for 2-5
segments before being forced to come up
for air. A player recommends that a heroic
physical effort could enable a character to
stay down for a few extra segments. The
DM agrees, and decides a characater may
extend his dive by expending two hero
points per additional segment submerged.

Hero points and magic

Hero points in magic reflect a character’s
mental or spiritual strength and spell-
casting mastery. This strength  and spell
control enables a spellcaster to boost a
spell’s power in certain limited ways. A
magic-user or illusionist may put a little
extra “oomph” into a crucial spell through
a determined effort of concentration and
mental discipline. A cleric or druid may
invest his spiritual favor and willpower in
a spell to accomplish a truly heroic feat of
spell-casting. Hero points mixed with
magic can provide some great fun for the
players, but only if the DM sets definite
guidelines on how a heroic effort may
improve a spell’s effectiveness.

Magic is perhaps the most flexible and
hence the most complex part of the game.
So when players apply hero points to their
spells, some difficult problems may arise.
To keep things from getting too compli-
cated, the DM must enforce strict limita-
tions on what aspects of spells may be
influenced by hero points.

Hero points cannot be applied to the
duration, area of effect, or range of a
spell, nor can hero points alter the num-
ber of creatures affected by a spell; it is
just too difficult for the DM to translate
hero points into every possible unit of
time or distance. Spells may range in dura-
tion from mere segments to days or even
years. The AREA of effect of one spell may
be measured in square feet, while another
spell might affect several square miles.
Spells may be cast across the breadth of a
room or into another dimension. While
some spells work on-only one TARGET, oth-
ers may affect a small crowd. With all the
many variables involved in spell-casting,
the DM must stress simplicity and ease of
use to keep the hero points system from
collapsing under the weight of numerous
details.

Hero points can only be applied to the
simple die rolls of spells, such as damage
rolls, saving throws, or common percentile
rolls. How hero points are used depends
on the given circumstances of a situation.
In  melee, the most important consider-
ations are the number of targets affected
by the spell and the way in which the
attacks. are delivered.

If hero points are used as a damage
bonus to a spell, the hero point bonus is
simply  added to the damage roll result. If
four hero. points are applied to a fireball
spell that does 22 hp of damage, then the
improved fireball inflicts 22 + 4 =  26 hp
damage (or 13 hp of damage if the save vs.
spells is made).

If hero points are used as a damage
bonus with a spell that produces multiple
attacks, then the extra damage should be
distributed as evenly as possible. For ex-
ample, a magic-user applies three hero
points to a magic missile spell that
launches five missiles. To divide the dam-
age bonus evenly, three missiles receive a
+1 damage bonus while the remaining
two are unaffected. As may be seen, hero
points are most effective as a damage
bonus when they are applied to an area-of-
effect spell with a single damage roll.
Perhaps the most powerful way to em-
ploy hero points with offensive spells is to
reduce the saving throw of the target
creature. For instance, a cleric who is
determined to get rid of a pesky demon
may spend five hero points on her dispel
evil spell to force the demon to save vs.
spells at -5.

If several creatures are entitled to a
saving throw, the hero point penalties
must be divided evenly among the targets.
If four hero points are applied to a cone of
cold spell that strikes seven goblins, then
four randomly picked goblins each suffer
a -1 to his save, leaving three goblins
with normal saves. If five hero points are
used against the saves of three gnolls, then
one gnoll suffers a -1 to his save while
the other two suffer a -2 penalty each.
Clearly, hero points used to impose a sav-
ing throw penalty are most effective when
focused upon a single dangerous foe.

Hero points may be applied to spells in a
variety of creative ways. A cleric may use
his points to restore extra hit points with a
curative spell, with each hero point restor-
ing one additional hit point. A druid might
use hero points as a penalty to an animal’s
save vs. an animal friendship spell. A
magic-user might use her hero points to
reduce the likelihood of insanity after
casting a contact other plane  spell. And
illusionists will certainly use their points to
create particularly effective illusions  by
reducing a target creature’s save vs. disbe-
lieve. But again, the player’s desires for
freedom and creativity must be balanced
against the needs of simplicity and easy
application of hero points.

As a general rule, hero points cannot be
used to improve or increase the spell-like
effects of most magic items.Almost all
magic items operate independently of the
user’s experience level or spell-casting
ability. Once the triggering phrase is ut-
tered or the spell is read from a scroll, the
stored potential within the item is then
released as a magic spell or spell-like
power, without any need for direct control
by the character. Without such control, a
character simply cannot apply his magical
talent and spell mastery to influence the
functions of a magic item. Not even a
heroic display of determination and magic
proficiency could force a wand of fire to
throw a more powerful fireball, or in-
crease the damage inflicted by an ice
storm spell cast from a scroll.

The DM may, of course, make exceptions
for certain extraordinary magic items over
which characters have a greater degree of
control. For example, a magic-user might
be allowed to apply his hero points to a
spell that is CAST using the stored potential
of a rod of absorption. A wizard might use
his hero points with the bonus spells
granted by a ring of wizardry; A sorceress
might improve her chance of locating a
person with her crystal ball through a
display of intense concentration and re-
solve. Or a heroic mage, when making a
retributive strike with a staff of power,
might apply five hero points as a + 35%
bonus to raise his chance of plane travel-
ling to 75% and so reduce his chance of
instant death to 25%.

As other examples, a bard might apply
her hero points to the spells cast by one of
the instruments of the bards, as the con-
nection between the instrument and the
bard’s magical and musical talents is such
an intimate bond. A necklace of prayer
beads, which can forge a special link be-
tween a cleric and his deity, might have
the power of its spells increased by the
cleric’s spiritual strength and willpower.
And if the DM so decides, all spell-casters
might use their hero points with the excel-
lent magic-focusing items described in
John M. Maxstadt’s “Good Stuff, for a
Spell” article of DRAGON #111.
In the end, each DM must decide which
magic items may be influenced by a char-
acter’s hero points. Such decisions may be
guided by the DM’s personal views on how
much control characters have over the
magic items provided in the campaign.

Hero points and performance
Because hero points are a reward for
the well-played character, the number of
hero points made available to a character
should be tied to the player’s performance.
The experience level system detailed on
page 86 of the DMG provides a good way
to monitor a player’s performance, using
the “E, S, F or P” rating scale. If the play-
er’s current performance is Excellent or
Superior, then the character is awarded
the maximum number of points (e.g., a 7th
level fighter has 7 hero points in his pool).
If the player’s performance rating is only
Fair, then the number of points in the pool
is halved. And if the player’s performance
is Poor, the character loses all hero points.
In this way, the number of points in the
pool rises or falls as the player’s perform-
ance improves or declines.

The DM may immediately withdraw any
or all of a character’s hero points during
play if the situation calls for it. Angering
one’s patron deity, a major alignment
violation, or behavior that is grossly out of
character for the player’s class indicates a
sudden fall in the character’s performance
rating, and so may be punished with the
loss of hero points. The player must then
improve his performance rating to regain
his hero points.

General advice
The hero point system is simple in the-
ory, but often complex in application. The
DM will face some tough choices as play-
ers continue suggesting new ways to use
their hero points. Since this system is so
flexible and open-ended, the DM must
come up with new rules and guidelines as
the campaign progresses. A novice DM
should limit hero-point use to those com-
mon situations where the effect of hero
points is easily understood. The more
experienced DM may give players greater
freedom to influence the random rolls that
rule over every character’s fate.

A player must provide a sound reason
for any novel use of hero points. The
player must establish a direct cause-and-
effect relationship between his character’s
heroic effort and a resulting die roll modi-
fier. Distracting noises, diversionary tac-
tics, annoying cantrips, and other sneaky
tricks are not considered heroic gestures
and so do not warrant a hero point modi-
fier. Yelling “Look out for the dragon!” in
the hope of distracting a distant giant
about to hurl a boulder is not a heroic feat
that could directly affect the giant’s attack
roll. But a mighty leap to evade the incom-
ing boulder would enable a character to
use his hero points as a penalty to the
giants “to hit” roll.

One very nice benefit of this system is
that hero points are firmly linked to a
character’s performance rating. The DM
has an additional tool to influence the
players’ conduct and so better provide a
well-played-and enjoyable adventure. The
DM may use hero points to reward the
player who respects and upholds his pro-
fessional alignment and chosen cause, or
withhold them to chastise the player
whose performance is lacking.

The use of hero points adds greater
strategy and forethought to the campaign.
A player must pick the best possible mo-
ment to apply his hero points, and not
squander them on trivial die rolls. Hero
points expended at just the right time can
mean the difference between certain
defeat and a miraculous victory. A smart
player will save his hero points until he
faces his moment of greatest peril, then
spend his points to defeat the fiercest foe
or to avoid the deadliest trap. A character
who blows all his hero points fighting
sewer rats in the morning only to confront
a fell vampire at sundown is a poor excuse
for a hero.

Players should remember two important
things when hero points are introduced
into the campaign. First, since all charac-
ters are permitted to have a hero point
pool, NPCs may also use their points to
attempt heroic feats, often at the expense
of the players. When the party finds them-
selves in the middle of a heated battle, an
NPC opponent might attempt a daring,
unexpected feat to vanquish the players.
An NPC foe might simply counter a play
er’s hero points with his own to negate the
player’s advantage. A really villainous NPC
might employ his “anti-hero” points to
deliver the coup de grace to a wounded or
endangered PC. Hero points
can be as dangerous to the players as they
are beneficial.

Second, since hero points are so useful
in getting a character out of a tight spot,
the DM may be less inclined to fudge a die
roll to keep an unlucky or foolish player
from getting himself killed. The DM will
expect the hero to save his own bacon
instead of always depending on the DM’s
mercy.

The hero points system is quite a new
idea for the AD&D game, so the DM may
wish to take the time to experiment with
this system before introducing it in the
regular campaign. The guidelines pre-
sented here are by no means a complete
list of all the ways hero points may be
used, but are simply intended as a quick
introduction to a very broad and flexible
system. The DM will have to add to these
guidelines as the players encounter new
adventures and dangers. Every unique
situation, every new suggestion by the
players, will create additional problems
for the DM to solve, yet will provide new
opportunities for the characters to per-
form the bigger-than-life feats that-are the
trademark of all great heroes.

[As an aside, it should be noted that
some minor quirks may arise in the use of
the hero-points system. For one, calculat-
ing and awarding hero points could prove
time consuming if performed during the
course of play. For ease of play, these
functions should be performed after the
gaming session, giving the DM time to
reflect on the session’s events. As an op-
tion, the DM may elect  to award hero
points at the same time experience is
calculated, saving time by using the same
judgements for both calculations. For
another point, the awarding of hero points
for every campaign day may slow play
considerably; likewise, the overuse of this
system may make heroic acts mundane. If
this becomes the case, the DM should
award hero points once every campaign
week, once every experience session, or
once every gaming session, depending
upon which system works best for the
campaign. Restriction and limitation of
hero points may be the correct course if
hero-point usage becomes the dominant
factor of a campaign. After all, how heroic
would a superhuman act be if every char-
acter could perform such actions once,
twice, or several times a day? — RJ] <RM?>