Leveling Scheme

Leveling is difficult in Hero Kids. Quickly, the success percentage gets way too high in the player's favor if you just add more dice to the attack rolls. So here is what I came up with. Each of these comes at the end of an adventure.

1. Boon - A character specific boost that gives extra abilities or an expansion of current abilities. For example, one of my sons plays a fire mage. After the first adventure, a water spirit granted him the use of all the elements for his magic. This simply expanded his ability to be creative in coming up with solutions to the problems facing them.

2. Pet - This is given as a reward for saving Precious Penelope's Pets during the Fires of Rivenshore adventure. I've slightly adjusted the pet rules as well. I give them 3 parts to their turns which they share between their hero and their pet. So they can either move both and attack with 1 or move 1 and attack with both. (For a more detailed explanation, ask in the comments.)

3. Items - A character specific item that will give the player a creative way to problem solve. For example, I gave my son that is playing an archer a Great Bow. It is a one-hit KO with %100 chance to hit. No roll is necessary. On the negative side, it uses the whole turn (all 3 parts) and does one damage to the character using it (recoil ... it's a BIG bow).

4. Money - I had my players find this in the Mines of Martek. They can use this to buy potions, weapons, armor, and items in town or for bribing, etc. They can find it in any of several treasure chests that can be lying around, in an overturned minecart, or as they search goblin areas.

5. Replacement Dice - This is a bonus die that can be used to replace any 1 die in an attack roll, ability check, defense roll, or any roll of a monster. Once the player decides to use it, it MUST be used to replace a rolled die, even if the roll is worse (it's basically a re-roll). For example, if the player rolls a 5 for an attack and the monster rolls a 6 for defense, the player can replace the 6 with another roll of his or her own. Can only be used once per encounter.

6. Hero Dice - If multiple sixes are rolled during an attack roll or ability check, the player may roll a hero die. It is basically the reverse of the traps in the Maze of the Minotaur. To use a Hero Die, roll a D6. For attacks, if a 1 or 2 is rolled, 1 damage is dealt. If a 3 or 4 is rolled, the player does 2 damage. If a 5 or 6 is rolled, 3 damage is dealt. For ability checks, The higher the number, the more pronounced the benefits are. For example, if trying to leap across a deep ditch, a 1 would have him land safely while a 6 may have him dive across, turning a half somersault in the middle as he catches an arrow fired by a hidden goblin scout and flings it back at the goblin, instantly knocking it out and preventing it from reporting back. As he lands, the impact shifts a carefully placed stone revealing a hidden box beneath it which contains a jewel worth 4 silver coins. Hero Dice can only be used once per adventure, though multiple sixes does not happen very often as is.

7. Mega Dice - Give the player a D10 to roll in place of all attack dice. For example, the player may either roll 3xD6 melee dice for the bear or 1xD10. This can only be used once per encounter.

8. Fourth part to turn - Now both the hero and the pet can move and attack.

9. Add 1 die to a type of attack that is currently empty - Let the warlock add a die to melee, or the warrior add a die to ranged.

10. Same as 9.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do next.

The interesting part is when they figure out how to combine the different effects into superhero-like moves. For example, using a replacement die during an attack roll to get a second 6 which allows them to roll their Hero Die. Or using the Mega Die during a split attack. Or combining the Mega Die with the "gain 1 extra die for melee attack if less than full health" ability.

My goal is for them to be able to do massive attacks by the time they reach Zimarim the Grim. I currently have him spec'd with 10 hit points and plan to give him a heal ability and 2-4 "pets" as appropriate to their power. They get excited when they do big heroic things.

Above all, I temper these boosts with storytelling and extra costs when they become overpowered. For example, when the fire mage wanted to create a rock pillar large enough to lift the chandelier off of Roger (Fires of Rivenshore), I made him tap into the life force of his brother (which had to be willingly given) because of the difficulty, time crunch, and because of all the distraction of the fires burning around him. He had to roll 4 dice, getting at least 2 5's or 6's. A success let him accomplish it; a failure lashed back and did 1 damage to his brother. Remember, make it up.