Hero Points

    Hero Points provide a player with the means to alter d20 rolls in dramatic situations, reflecting the luck that can change crushing failure into heroic success.  Your character has a limited number of hero points, and you must use them wisely, since you don't replenish this supply until your character attains a new level.

     You can spend a hero point to improve the result of an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw.  Certain feats and prestige class features allow you to spend hero points in different ways, but this is their most basic use.

     When you spend a hero point, you add the result of a roll of 1d6 to your d20 roll to help you meet or exceed the target number for the roll.  You can declare that you are spending an action point after you have already rolled the d20, but you must do so before the DM reveals the result of your roll (whether the attack roll or check or saving throw succeeded or failed).  You can't use a hero point on a skill check or ability check when you are taking 10 or taking 20.

     You can only use hero points once in a round.  If you spend 1 or more hero points on a special action (see below), you can't spend a point in the same round to improve a die roll, and vice versa.  No spell, power, or other special ability can allow a character to reroll a hero point die.  If a character suffers permanent level loss, he does not lose any hero points he has remaining, and any subsequent level advancement provides new hero points as normal.

     If your character is 8th-level or higher, you can roll more than one d6 when you spend a hero point.  If you do so, apply the highest result and disregard the other rolls.  As a 15th-level character, for example, you can roll 3d6 and take the best result of the three.  So, if you rolled 1, 2, and 4, you would apply the 4 to your d20 roll.

     At 1st-level, you have 5 hero points.  Each time you attain a new level, you gain a fresh supply of hero points equal to 5 + 1/2 your character level, rounded down.  Any hero points you didn't spend at your previous level are lost.

     You determine your supply of hero points after all other issues related to level advancement have been resolved.

SPECIAL ACTIONS

     Instead of altering the result of a d20 roll, you can use hero points to perform one of the special actions described below.  In addition, some classes and prestige classes and feats allow you to spend hero points to gain or activate specific abilities.

     Activate Class Features: You can spend 2 hero points to gain another use of a class ability that has limited number of uses per day.  Class abilities such as a barbarian's rage, bardic music, a smite or stunning fist attack, turning or rebuking undead, or wild shape are all examples.

     Stabilize: When your character is dying, you can spend 1 hero point to stabilize yourself at your current hit point total.  Spending a hero point does nothing for you if you're already dead.

     See individual class and prestige class descriptions for other ways classes may utilize hero points.

     Feats such as Heroic Boost, Heroic Spirit, and Heroic Surge all affect hero points.  See the feats section for individual descriptions.

     Nonplayer Characters and monsters normally can't use hero points and don't gain hero points as they advance in level, even if they have levels in a class or a prestige class.  Hero points are typically the purview of player characters and are thus reserved for their use.

     However, an NPC can use hero points if he or she has the Heroic Surge feat which provides a character with 3 hero points to use every level.  The DM should not give an NPC this feat without careful consideration, and then only if the character is crucial to the campaign and the storyline.  Perhaps only one key character should exist at every three to five levels of the campaign.