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At my table we are changing Hero Points into Hero Cards. Why? because both players and GM alike forget about Hero Points at our table and they offer more than just 2 different things you can use them on and it should promote better team work between my players.
The cards are set up into three categories. Common, Uncommon and Rare.
At the start of the session, the GM deals out to each player the 1 Common and 2 Uncommon Hero cards.
There is only 1 common card and that's Stabilize, the Hero Point version of avoiding death by turning in all your Hero Points but instead you turn in all your cards.
There are 10 different Uncommon cards and 6 different Rare cards.
Now the way it works is when a player uses the common card, it burns up all their Hero cards for the rest of the session.
Uncommon cards work a little differently in that if the player uses the card on their character, the expended card will be placed at the bottom of the Uncommon deck and that card will be gone for the rest of the session. Now if the player uses the card on another player's character then they will be able to replenish the cards used in that manor when that encounter is over. This is to promote team play.
Rare cards takes 2 or more players to pool 4 of their cards together in order to give a player that the pooling players agree upon to draw 1 card from the Rare Deck. No matter if the card is used or not, the rare card must be returned to the bottom of the stack at the end of the encounter and the players who pooled their cards will be able to replenish the uncommon cards by drawing a number of cards they used from the Uncommon deck.
I'm currently using 31 cards in the uncommon deck:
6 Second Chance cards
4 each of Close Calls, Fail Forward and Heroic Action
3 I got Skills
2 each of Rub some dirt on it, Fast and Furious, Chain Reaction, Blind Luck, Maximum Effort-Maximum Reward.
There are only 6 rare cards total:
Last stand, Disruptive Attack, the quickening, adrenaline boost, cant touch this and "no, that's not how it happened"
Tonight will be the first time we'll be using them so I expect some tweaking to the system.
NOTE they are set up to be printed front and back on the Avery Printable Postcards 4.25" x 5.5" which are great for printing off item and spell cards too :)
I can make available single sided cards if anyone wants them.
Heh. Well we just had our first session using the cards. They worked out quite well :)
I have been using a similar system since I started my Age of Ashes campaign last year, but I utilize the Plot Twist cards from first edition.
One Plot Twist card will be given to each player at the start of each session, with a second being given to each player who arrives on time and ready to play. A third can be earned during play for exceptional roleplaying or especially cool/heroic activity, at the GM’s discretion.
*Players may suggest that the actions of a fellow player are worth a card if the GM doesn’t immediately award one.
*Cards may be awarded to players who help keep the GM honest regarding things forgotten during a session.
*No more than three cards can be held by a player at any time.
Plot Twist cards can be used as Hero Points, in which case the cards function as Hero Points as outlined in the Core Rulebook on page 467.
*One card equals one Hero Point.
Plot Twist cards can also be used to alter the story being told, per one of the four narrative elements on the card or with the mechanical element on the card.
*When using the narrative element of a card, the player will describe to the GM what effect they wish the card to have over the story. The GM will then adapt the story to fit the player’s request, within reason. Any idea the player suggests that is unreasonable can be ignored at the GM’s discretion and the player retains the card for future use.
*Cards can be played at any time, in combat or not, on anyone's turn, as appropriate to the card.
*Players will not reveal their cards to anyone until they are played; this is to encourage each player to direct the story to their own desires and not have other players play their cards for them.
**A second player may play a card at the same time as another player if the cards synergize to improve the story or make for a more dramatic moment.
*The mechanical element of the card may be modified or ruled inappropriate by the GM as these pertain to first edition rules.
As Plot Twist cards are used they are returned to the deck.
*Unused cards at the end of a session will be returned to the deck.
I also created some custom feats that tie into this system.
General 7
At the start of each session, you gain one additional Plot Twist card. This feat can be taken more than once.
Hero of Consequence
General 11
Prerequisite: twisted fate
You can have up to four Plot Twist cards at once.
Hero of Legend
General 19
Prerequisite: hero of consequence
You can have up to five Plot Twist cards at once.
My players seem to like the system and they use the cards far more often than they used Hero Points during the playtest. In the right circumstances they can be very powerful, and have turned the tide of more than one fight in my game.
At my table we are changing Hero Points into Hero Cards.
That's pretty cool! I'm always finding new things to do with hero points, and cards are always more intuitive and fun.
Not sure if you are looking for feedback, but I'll just throw some opinions that crossed my mind so take it as you will:
-At first I thought it a bit too restrictive and too context sensitive as to where and when to use the cards. Then I get it that you balanced it around the fact that players are supposed to use it on each other. Then again I don't know how balanced is that and there seems to be a large discrepancy between using HC on yourself (discarded) and on others (reusable), I feel there should be a middle ground in there.
-The common/uncommon/rare tipology is boring and too videogamey. It may work for items and equipment lists but it doesn't fit the theme of heroic actions. Just call heroic cards for the uncommon and epic/legendary cards for the rare kind, or something like that.
-The common category is nearly pointless. If there's only 1 common card and it's always dealt to the players, just make it a rule that you may turn in all your cards to activate the basic heroic stabilize action. If its an issue, just give 3 hero cards instead of 2.
-Not a critique, but more like an incentive: I think we could squeeze a few more card types in there, even if to justify making the whole card system.
-Producing rare cards is maybe a bit too complex, subjected to multiple steps and unpredictability. Personally i'd prefer if they were simply slipped in amongst the regular version and you would be lucky to draw them. They should ofc be rare still, and probably only one of a kind
-Chain Reaction is too complex
-The Quickening works, but maybe it just gives 1 extra action?
-Some of the card names are a bit too memey and/or don't deliver the "gravitas" expected from heroic efforts or for something you'd publish for others to read. I think names like "defiance","grit",etc are maybe generic, but solid.
-Bad side effects for heroic efforts is borderline bad design IMO. I think it's preferable to dial back its positive effects than giving any bads, save for some careful exceptions. Rares shouldn't give bad effects at all. That makes cards simpler as well.
-ME ME fatigued side effect is particular harmful. Fatigued until you take a long rest in exchange for 1 max dice effect is extremely contextual on an already very contextual system. I think the "high risk, high reward" gimmick is valid, but it has no place in a system designed for heroic effort, not heroic gamble.
Phew, I think that's it. Keep working on it and it may become really solid. I can help too, if you feel inclined.
Well in theory, you don't get a lot of hero points to begin with and they are only spent on yourself.
With the Hero Cards, I wanted to promote team play so I figured allowing the players to spend the cards on others would promote the teamplay aspect and reward them for doing so (getting the cards back after the encounter). If they spend it on themselves then they will work like hero points. Once spent they are gone but still can get a chance to earn cards back through good idea's and roleplay.
This is my first draft of the Hero Cards so I just went with something my players would recognize which is the common/uncommon and rare to get the point across and it worked well during the first use at the table. They picked up quick on the tipology. Could it be changed? I don't see why not :)
I wasn't sure about the rare cards and how to introduce them into the game. My first thought was to just add them into the mix but I wanted to try this other system first before adding them in. Maybe a mix of the two. Add a few in and keep a few out so if they really need to get a rare card they could trade in the others to get one.
Chain Reaction: The wording might be complex but the usage is quite simple. Something I need to work on.
The Quickening. I didn't want it to just be the standard version of haste (stride or strike) again better wording needed.
Card names: I was in a memey mood at the time :)
Bad side effects like failing forward (you turn a failure into a success but fall prone) kinda mimics when someone falling down but accidently stabs a bad guy in the movies... top that with turning a success into a critical success makes it even more fun but I see where you are coming from :)
ME is a mixed bag of cats.
I'm not sold on the cards with side effects but I added them in just to see what kind of effect it might have in game.
BTW thanks Anarakius for the feed back. Its food for thought :)
Like I tell my friends, I have Ideas. I never said they were all good ideas :)