Hero points (Otari)

The Mayra campaign uses a custom version of Hero Points: Core Hero Points rule

Since you are a hero, you earn Hero Points each time you venture forth to adventure! These let you act quicker (take more actions in a turn), grant you good fortune or let you recover from the brink of death.

The GM is in charge of awarding Hero Points. Usually, each character gets a couple of Hero Points (at least 2, maybe many more) at the start of each "run". A "run" is defined as each time you leave town and descend into danger! Whenever you get a new batch of hero points, they replace the previous batch. That is, unused hero points are lost when you start a new "run".

You can spend your Hero Points in the following ways. Spending hero points isn't in itself an action, and you can spend Hero Points even if you are paralyzed or otherwise unable to act (though you are still subject to any conditions you might have - so if you are petrified, for instance, you may spend all your hero points to avoid death, but spending some to take movement would still be ineffectual). You can spend a Hero Point on behalf of any henchman, familiar, or animal companion of yours.


 * Spend 1 Hero Point to re-roll a check, after you see the result of the first roll. You must use the second result. This is a fortune effect.
 * Spend all your Hero Points (minimum 1) to avoid death. You can do this when your dying condition would increase. You lose the dying condition entirely and stabilize with 0 Hit Points. You don’t gain the wounded condition or increase its value from losing the dying condition in this way, but if you already had that condition, you don’t lose it or decrease its value. While you have 0 hp in this manner you can remain conscious, though you still drop anything held and become prone. You are limited to 1 action per turn. If you attempt to take any other action than a Crawl, Drop Prone, Stand, or Stride*, first make a flat DC 11 check. Failure means you lose the action. If you are restored to 1 Hit Point or more via healing, this restriction is lifted and you can act normally again. *) If you have the corresponding Speed, you may replace Burrow, Climb, Fly, or Swim for Stride.

Note: while you're momentarily saved from death, you might still die, sometimes mere seconds later.


 * Spend 1 Hero Point to add +5 to any check, before you make that check. This is a fortune effect.
 * Spend 1 Hero Point at the start of your turn to gain an additional action. If you don't use it on your turn, it is lost. You can use this extra action for anything, including combining it with other actions for 2-action or 3-action activities. You can only gain a single additional action each combat round this way.
 * Spend all your Hero Points (minimum 1) to convert instant death into a critical hit. You can do this when faced with instant death (such as from massive damage). This is resolved as if you lost all your hit points to a critical hit: normally you become unconscious, lose all your hit points and gain Dying 2. You are not stabilized but at least you give your friends one last chance to save you.
 * Spend all your Hero Points (minimum 1) to grant one Hero Point to a creature of your choice. If the creature does not use it before you gain new Hero Points at the start of a "run", the hero point is lost.

You can spend all your Hero Points at once if you wish, except only one fortune effect can affect a given check, and you can only gain one additional action per round.