Subject: Hero Points rules summary
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 15:55:31 -0700

Every PC has 10 HEPs to begin with.
Only PCs and major NPCs have them.  Allied spirits, minor NPCs including new
River Voices, etc. have none and cannot gain them.
Gain is typically 1-3 per great achievement, at GM discretion.

Use is permanent and always subject to GM OK.
Basic guideline for using on others' behalf is that you must be aware of
their predicament and there must be a realistic way you could help, which
may often include just shouting a warning.
You cannot use HEPs to change combat or other action results after damage dice have been rolled, or after opponents have declared how they are allocating levels of success (hit head, 1/2 armor, etc.).
HEPs take no time to use.

Uses:                                           Cost
Permanent skill change +/-1%                    1@
Permanent personality trait or passion +/-1%    1@
Buy back lost char pt except POW                4@
Gain one-use 1pt divine magic from quest        1@
Invoke cult magic, 1 pt                         1@
(must be cast as usual, immediately, and be normally accessible magic -- i.e., not from uninitiated subcults or from associate cults)
Gain 5 MP temporarily; max=POW                  1@
Divine Intervention, +1% before roll            1@ (gambled; lost only on
any success or fumble)
One-time immediate 20% boost in 1 skill 1@
Reroll any roll                                 1
Buy a success BEFORE ROLLING:
   Chance to succeed:  01-25   4
                       26-50   3
                       51-75   2
                       76+     1
Change fumble to failure                        2
Change failure to success                       1/15% or fraction thereof
needed to get success
(so if chance was 40% and roll was 61, costs 3.... 2pts before roll would
have worked because skill would have been 80%)
Change success to special                       3 (can change failure to
special at 3+ success cost)
Change special to critical                      4 (can change success to
critical for 7, failure to critical for 11+, etc.)
Change critical to hypercritical                5 (must have 100%+
skill)

These rules are being tweaked regularly as we play them out.
REFUNDS:  If HEPs are used and the result is much the same anyway as if they hadn't been used, in many cases the GM will refund them at the same time HEPs would normally be handed out (at the end of a mission/session).  -1 penalty is charged minimum; only 1/2 or less may be returned in some cases, depending on how/why the HEPs were used and what the final outcome was.

Divine Magic regain rules are now officially changed as of this moment in
game time, non-retroactive:
At each Holy Day, roll all five cult virtues and any cult passion.  After
the first two successes, you may regain 1pt of magic per Ceremony roll made
successfully.  Thus if you roll 2 successes you get a gain that time if you
make Ceremony check, if 3 you get 2 attempts, etc.
High Holy Days are the same, plus you get a free POW gain as usual and all
traits can get checks if succeeded.
No special bonuses or penalties for criticals or fumbles.