How about requiring a relationship die roll to be able to use the HP (meaning that they could only use it when there was an appropriate relationship in play). This would have several effects. First, you can be sure that the point is being used to reinforce the character concept, and that it can only be used when the character "really" cares. And when it's about someone else. This would give players more incentive to take relationships as well.
You could probably extend this to any "heroic" style Ability. Thus, if the character had the Ability "Altruistic", he could roll against that to use a HP in situation where he was doing something giving. Or with Conscience when the character did something that was Conscientious. Or they could have some heroic destiny trait like "Save the Glindar Clan", which he could use to activate HP when actively working towards that destiny.
Then as GM you can give bonuses or penalties as appropriate to the rolls.
If you're familiar with The Riddle of Steel, I'm stealing their Spiritual Attribute idea, essentially.
Anyhow, making this mechanical, and linking it to appropriate traits, makes it so that the player is informed as to what's an acceptable use, and what is not.
Mike
>From: Kmnellist_at_...
>Saving someone else's skin is being Heroic. Saving your own is being
>cowardly/pragmatic/sensible. (IMO). I might be in this state of mind
>through
>recently reading some of the Trojan War in which Heroes do spectacular
>heroic
>fighting but still seem to end the day wailing and making funeral pyres and
>being miserable.
>
>Keith
Powered by hypermail