Previously I began this journey with discussing some of the optional rules
and/or personal house rules I decided to implement for this game and the reason
for these rules choices. This is the continuation of that blog which will take several blogs to cover as I plan to showcase
these choices in small yet in-depth ways. As a warning I would like to preface
this by informing you that this may contain some spoilers for the campaign and
thus I give you the earnest of **SPOILER** warnings should you not want
anything ruined for you in this amazing Adventure Path.
**SPOILER WARNING**TURN BACK NOW**SPOILER WARNING**
In an attempt to add an array of options I am having Hero Points implemented as an additional resource for the players, though I am not allowing any other Hero Point options such as feats or spells. Hero Points are a resource system that we have been using for a few campaigns now. though I am aiming to add a few tweaks to the system regarding bonuses and cheating death. Let it also be stated that Hero Points are treated as a community pool, meaning each player gets their own Hero points but they can be used on other players even on their turn. With the current rules as they stand Hero Points can often not feel very heroic. Even with getting additional actions, or bonuses, the act of using a Hero Point has a chance to not succeed and further a sense of failure or wasted resources. In these cases often I see players save them for their assured benefits such as spell usage, cheating death, or acting out of turn. It is for these reasons that I added more options to the original bonus section of the Hero Point resource:
Success: If used before a roll is made, a hero point grants you an automatic success. This automatic success can be used on attack rolls, personal saving throws, skill checks, spell attacks (including overcoming SR), and concentration checks. If used after a roll is made, the bonus is +8 to any d20 roll.
The rest of this section functions just like the original bonus rules for Hero Points but with this new addition my aim is to hopefully have players feel more heroic when they use them and not a resource better used for perks such as cheating death. The other aspect of Hero Points that I had changed was the cheating death rules section. Normally using cheating death under the original rules will cost 2 Hero Points and you are left with negative hit points but remain stable. With the addition of automatic successes I am having cheat death cost 3 points. With the function of a community pool which does not require all three points to come from one player, and it has the possibility of the group overcoming an obstacle as a team rather than as individuals.
One other small change I am trying out for this campaign is natural 20's and initiative. It is a change I am trying out, and should it not pan out after the first book then it is something I am willing to remove and have expressed this view to the players. There is no penalty for rolling a 1, but I wanted to look at initiative in a new and slightly different way. My goal is to see if allowing natural 20's to go first in combat would help or hinder the feeling of combat itself.
Initiative Rolls: As a test run all natural 20’s on initiative checks are treated as going first for the sake of combat. Should two PC’s roll natural 20’s it is up to the party to decide who goes first. Should a PC tie with the GM, the tie favors the PC.
That's it for now but please keep an eye out for the next
blog as I continue to go over the options I decided upon for my upcoming Reign
of Winter campaign. Thank you all for your time and stay awesome my friends!!
