> When might NPC HP bumps be a 'good idea', in your opinion?
When it enhances dramatic tension. For a big nasty to fumble his first exchange could cheapen a heroquest, for example.
I won't dissect your points against this; I think Hero Points are a convenient Narrator tool, especially for Narrators who don't want to detail everything in advance. Though I certainly agree that only key NPC should have them.
Keith suggests
> Rune not Hero points, to be spent in similar ways but
> restricted in application. Mastery to improve abilities, Luck and Fate for
> almost anything (except maybe ability increase) Death to increase killing
> events, Harmony for that sort of event, etc etc.
Interesting, one could use this as a loose way to have directed increases: rather than saying "you have 2 HP to increase Close Combat" you could say "you have 2 Death Rune points," which could be used to increase Close Combat, other abilities related to killing people, or various affinities.
In practice this may have problems of interpretation ("Ride Horse is too a Death ability, I'm a knight and I use it to ride down peasants"), but as long as Narrator and players were willing to be flexible, it'd work.
-- David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...> Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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