Please Allow me to Introduce Myself

Welcome to Eternal Nomad, a blog concerning itself with Stellagama Publishing's FTL: Nomad and Quantum engines. For references I was a coauthor for Nomad and I wrote Quantum Dark (with Josh Peters), Lightning League and Solar Sagas for Quantum. I'm going to try to make these posts of interest to the larger Cepheus Engine community as well. With that out of the way...

Hero Point Economy

In the Nomad /Quantum family we have Hero Points! 

RAW: Each player starts the session with 2 individual Hero Points. In addition the group gets a pool of Hero Points equal to the number of players.Any player can use the pool with the consent of the other players. A Hero Point lets you

1. Refill any single die roll. This can be for damage rolls. 
2. Ask the referee to preroll an NPCs die roll (a last minute escape!) In this case the second roll stands.
3. Activate an archetype or Talent as noted in it's description.

At present these Traits use Hero Points:

Leader- Generate more Hero Points with a Social roll of eight or more! 

Marksman- Pay a point add +2d6 for a ranged attack!

Maverick- pay a point, get an extra action!

My new setting (ahem) Retro Rockets adds a fourth: Raw Psionic. Raw Psionic gives you a single Psionic power but you must pay a Hero Point for each use until you find a suitable teacher. I am in  favor of more of these. For one thing it could lead to me writing another Nomad companion! They do serve as a model for more uses of Hero Points with Talents. For example,

Brawler- Pay a point to add 1d6 to an unarmed attack.

Melee Expert- Pay a point to add 2d6 for an attack at close range with a melee weapon.

Sprinter- Pay a point to get an extra movement action.

 If your game system doesn't use Talents perhaps you can give each player a Hero Point ability based on their series a/o terms. For example Marines might have Marksman or Melee Expert depending on your setting, or require a certain skill level to use the ability. 

Plot and Hero Points

A referee might award a Hero Point for a player helping the game along. Want a character cut off and captured? Give them a Hero Point! Point out it's a better alternative to a shoot out with four heavily armed guards. 

Keeping You Mouth Shut

We all have one of those players who sees right through you can explain your great mystery ten minutes into a session. Assuming they notify the referee privately and discreetly, reward them with a Hero Point.

Psionic Points

In Nomad Psionic use is determined by a Knowledge roll make it and you use the ability again. A Hero point could allow an additional use of Psionics. In other 2D6 Systems you might allow Hero Points to substitute for Psi points.

Entertainment Award

Give the referee a good laugh or surprise and get a Hero Point.

Pulp First Aid

Normally in Nomad, a character takes damage from their Stamina. The character must make a Physical roll to continue. fighting when they run out of Stamina. If you want more durable characters let a character spend a Hero Point. The Character is stunned for 1d6 rounds. Their Stamina is increased to one. They may only do this once per combat.