How many people actually use these?
And what do people think.
I believe we are incorporating this system into our current game so I am anxious to find out.
Furthermore, I did a search and in what little discussion I found most people seem to not use the antihero option. Is this because people think it is not very good or too good.
Because unless I am missing something it seems like hero points could be far more useful (especially saving from dying).
What do people think?
I like hero points and use them in my games (because 25-pt. buy just didn't feel heroic enough).
Out of my 4 players, only 1 chose the anti-hero option. Though, in all fairness, I'm not sure the other 3 players realize it even exists.
Those who took hero points USE them. I mean really USE them. They have saved themselves and each other countless times with them. If it weren't for hero points some of them surely would have died and left the world in a distinctly sorrier state.
We used to use the action points, but honestly half of us forgot they existed unless we were bleeding out and then someone would say "stabilize" and we'd remember...
I just looked at the Hero points and they seem MUCH more powerful. Strike that, they are much more powerful.
Unless the antihero character has a build that would benefit greatly by getting feats early (usually PrCs with huge feat requirements but no level, skill, high BAB requirement) and therefore qualifying early, the extra feat is very very weak. Choosing it means 1 1st level feat and nothing from that point on, that character can't even get the points via the spell. The hero points are very effective in "clutch" situations and will probably out perform the feat in any situation that they could be compared to (+8 to a roll? No feat will give you that), not to mention they have multiple uses where a feat is more specialized.
I personally would rather have the points even if they are limited. Weapon focus might be over all better (getting that +1 to hit means more hits over time), but I'd much rather have the ability to boost a clutch attack on a BBEG that we might actually have a difficult time with. Well that is assuming I'd even remember to use it that way, I'd probably just us them when I was about to die and recalled they were available.
I jumped into anti-hero and never looked back.
That fits thematically my current setting and my players are very happy with it.
1st level PC are more "rounded".
I personally think the Hero points are a bit too rare. One a level makes them come very slowly in a large player game on slow exp progression.
That says a lot more about your group makeup and play style than it does hero points.
If anything, with the elixirs of luck, hero's blades, the heroic fortune and mass heroic fortune spells, etc., hero points might be too easy to come by.
I personally think the Hero points are a bit too rare. One a level makes them come very slowly in a large player game on slow exp progression. To make up for the rarity I can see the power they provide. It does feel great to interrupt an action to stop an enemy teleport escape or to take a turn right as a death spell is cast to cast death ward on the target.
I prefer the action point system and the smaller bonuses over time. I can divide them up over the adventure. My group would use it for important actions and end up using most or all of them at level time. Play time to level seems to be at 1 every 40 hours of play for my group. If they had more points and had the hero point actions take up more than one point I would enjoy it more.
My group has been using modified "Action Points" for a long time now (and they're admittedly very similar to 4E's action points, but not intentionally so). Basically, everyone gets an action point which refreshes each time the party takes a rest (a variant involves giving a few APs for the course of a session or adventure). At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, you receive an additional AP (5 at 20th level). Any time during your turn, you may declare that you're spending an action point to gain a second standard, move, or swift action beyond your normal allotment. While it offers no statistical benefit (as UA/Eberron APs did), and it doesn't allow you to do stuff like automatically stabilize or recover spells (I find that kind of lame, honestly), it does allow you to break out of the confines of the turn structure which tends to lead to far more heroic actions.
Since it allows to preform "combos" by chaining certain techniques or tricks together, or allow you to buff faster, or take two quick actions at once, it works wonderfully for giving you a quick and noticeable edge which doesn't really break the verisimilitude of the game or make it noticeably easier.
I'd just like to point out, the OP was asking about the hero points and the antihero option and why people do or don't use the antihero option. Posting about which house rule you use and how it works, isn't really helping them at all as you aren't actually addressing the question they have unfortunately, as they will be using the APG option (as stated in the OP).
I'd just like to point out, the OP was asking about the hero points and the antihero option and why people do or don't use the antihero option. Posting about which house rule you use and how it works, isn't really helping them at all as you aren't actually addressing the question they have unfortunately, as they will be using the APG option (as stated in the OP).
Yeah...I got that. If you notice, I was responding to Glyini.