Do you have any stories of giving an NPC Hero Points (or Action Points, if you're pre-Pathfinder)? How'd it work out?
SpyCraft has a system for that.
The DM gains Action Dice based on the number of players you've got.
I don't remember the exact number but I think it's something like twice the total number of Action Dice the player have.
I'd look up SpyCraft or FantasyCraft for some ideas.
I tried giving bandits traits in kingmaker. PC's hated it!
Why'd they hate it, though?
Were they upset because their characters weren't beautiful and unique snowflakes that were totally imaginative, just like the all the other cookie-cutter characters they based on an anime or action movie they just watched?
Or was there a legitimate reason?
Hero Points are very powerful for NPCs, so there is that. I would reserve them for bosses—or even just a select few bosses that are "special".
I gave named bandits traits. For example one of the bandits had a cure potion listed in gear, so I gave her the trait Accelerated Drinker so she could qualf the potion mid-combat.
Honestly, It only made the combat take one more round, no one died, and I kept the potion in the loot collection. I think the PC was annoyed that he lanced her, she drank the potion and managed to launch a counter attack.
So, yeah, the player didn't like their character not being a beautiful and unique cookie-cutter murder hobo. You cut down on their Hit-to-Murder Average, and they were butthurt.
I'd build a Drunken Brawler Invulnerable Rager mid-boss to make that person's life absolutely miserable, JUST BECAUSE they complained like that, honestly.
I gave named bandits traits. For example one of the bandits had a cure potion listed in gear, so I gave her the trait Accelerated Drinker so she could qualf the potion mid-combat.
Honestly, It only made the combat take one more round, no one died, and I kept the potion in the loot collection. I think the PC was annoyed that he lanced her, she drank the potion and managed to launch a counter attack.
So, yeah, the player didn't like their character not being a beautiful and unique cookie-cutter murder hobo. You cut down on their Hit-to-Murder Average, and they were butthurt.
I'd build a Drunken Brawler Invulnerable Rager mid-boss to make that person's life absolutely miserable, JUST BECAUSE they complained like that, honestly.
Furthermore, it allowed the bandit to consume a potion, angering the PC who believed that it constituted loot that was obviously his RIGHTFUL PROPERTY as a PC.
In one campaign, I used them for bosses and the final boss.
Bosses got 1 or 2 depending upon how central to the plot I thought they were.
Final boss got 3.
Mostly all it did was keep the fights from being to anti-climactic by failing the round 1 SoD spell.