Who owns story objects? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Who owns story objects? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ajpopp
08-25-05, 06:19 PM Okay, I posted this on the RPGA general board, but I'll try here, since my interest is really in the rule for Mark of Heroes.

The question is this: who owns story objects, the player or the character ?

In other words, if I earn story objects with my dwarven wizard, but then I play my elven ranger, can I use the story objects?

If my dwarven wizard gets killed during an adventure, do I give all my story objects to the DM?

If I retire my dwarven wizard between adventures, do I have to give up my story objects?

I ask because a player in a recent MoH adventure retired his character and the DM asked for his story objects. I asked if he was sure that the player had to give them up, because if the player had used his backup character, he would have had access to the story objects...then we all wondered if this is, in fact, true. I view story objects like I do campaign cards: the player earns them and thus can apply them to any character he plays. But I very well could be mistaken on this. (I know that in Living Greyhawk there is a documentation system that connects objects with particular characters, but part of MoH is the flexibility--re-tooling characters, using different campaign cards, etc.).

So, anyone have an official--or semi-official--answer?
TimRat
08-25-05, 07:14 PM the character owns them. you can't switch the story objects over to another character that did not play in that event. i will ask just to clarify but this is and has been always the case in the recent living campaigns.
grahamdrew
08-25-05, 08:07 PM I don't have an official answer, but in the MoH games I've run I definitly got the impression that Story Objects were owned by the character and not the player. I know of at least one Story Object that had a level dependency written into the module. If the character was not of a given level or higher they did not receive the story object. If Story Objects were owned by players this wouldn't make any sense; the player could start a new first level character and have a Story Object that wasn't really valid for the new character.

I don't see the comparison between Campaign Cards and Story Objects at all really. Campaign Cards are received for participation, and not nessicarily even participation in the same campaign the cards are valid for. Their use is optional on the part of the player, which is definitly not true in the case of Story Objects (there's at least one negative Story Object out there). The statement that the player earns Story Objects seems off base, as the player isn't the one who was a part of the story, the character was. Using an expired mod as an example, there is a Story Object that represents a character's time spent on a sea ship. Did the player spend time on the ship? Not really, a stretch at best. Did the character? Definitly. I would consider Story Objects akin to the Living campaigns' certs. If someone can make a good case for why Story Objects would be player based I'm open to ideas, but at this point it would take a lot to convince me short of an official ruling.

As to if the Story Objects should be handed over, I'd say they might have to be voided, but not nessicarily handed over. They aren't the DM's property just because he may have killed the character.

Andrew Beard
ajpopp
08-25-05, 10:10 PM Thanks for the input so far. Frankly, I could argue either side. I'm wondering if there's an official ruling.

As for a new character not participating in previous scenarios, that's only true in our reality...after all, with the level kick, I can create a new character who has presumably had adventures. Why can't they be the same adventures my old character went on? Anyway, for continuity it seems reasonable that the character gives up the object. However, as a rewards system for playing, I could see players keeping them.

If the objects belong to characters, it's really the only reward for playing in the scenarios. My friends and I played all but one before the level bump, and we only just made 3rd level...so, with the scarcity of adventures, it's difficult (if not impossible) to stay ahead of the level kick.

Now, as an aside, if I DM a MoH scenario, how would I know what story objects a player/character is entitled to? I suppose looking at the play summary on the character record...but do they provide info to cross-reference story objects?
grahamdrew
08-26-05, 06:49 AM Now, as an aside, if I DM a MoH scenario, how would I know what story objects a player/character is entitled to? I suppose looking at the play summary on the character record...but do they provide info to cross-reference story objects?

Well, that's the thing. If players kept the story objects, you don't. The character record only displays mods played by that character. If it was player specific you'd really have no clue, as it wouldn't display mods the player has done with other characters. If it's character specific you'd have to know which Story Objects go with which mod, but then again I've made a habit of signing, dating, and putting the mod name on the back of all Story Objects I issue.

On a related note the last time I reported LotGR results there were two new columns labled "cert 1" and "cert 2." The modules I was reporting didn't have any story objects involved, but I remember someone mentioning D&D Campaigns was going to start tracking Story Objects online. Anybody know if the two are related?

Andrew Beard
DoveArrow
08-26-05, 04:48 PM If it's character specific you'd have to know which Story Objects go with which mod, but then again I've made a habit of signing, dating, and putting the mod name on the back of all Story Objects I issue.

That is a brilliant idea. From now on, I will be doing the same.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ajpopp 08-25-05, 06:19 PM	Okay, I posted this on the RPGA general board, but I'll try here, since my interest is really in the rule for Mark of Heroes. The question is this: who owns story objects, the player or the character ? In other words, if I earn story objects with my dwarven wizard, but then I play my elven ranger, can I use the story objects? If my dwarven wizard gets killed during an adventure, do I give all my story objects to the DM? If I retire my dwarven wizard between adventures, do I have to give up my story objects? I ask because a player in a recent MoH adventure retired his character and the DM asked for his story objects. I asked if he was sure that the player had to give them up, because if the player had used his backup character, he would have had access to the story objects...then we all wondered if this is, in fact, true. I view story objects like I do campaign cards: the player earns them and thus can apply them to any character he plays. But I very well could be mistaken on this. (I know that in Living Greyhawk there is a documentation system that connects objects with particular characters, but part of MoH is the flexibility--re-tooling characters, using different campaign cards, etc.). So, anyone have an official--or semi-official--answer?
TimRat 08-25-05, 07:14 PM	the character owns them. you can't switch the story objects over to another character that did not play in that event. i will ask just to clarify but this is and has been always the case in the recent living campaigns.
grahamdrew 08-25-05, 08:07 PM	I don't have an official answer, but in the MoH games I've run I definitly got the impression that Story Objects were owned by the character and not the player. I know of at least one Story Object that had a level dependency written into the module. If the character was not of a given level or higher they did not receive the story object. If Story Objects were owned by players this wouldn't make any sense; the player could start a new first level character and have a Story Object that wasn't really valid for the new character. I don't see the comparison between Campaign Cards and Story Objects at all really. Campaign Cards are received for participation, and not nessicarily even participation in the same campaign the cards are valid for. Their use is optional on the part of the player, which is definitly not true in the case of Story Objects (there's at least one negative Story Object out there). The statement that the player earns Story Objects seems off base, as the player isn't the one who was a part of the story, the character was. Using an expired mod as an example, there is a Story Object that represents a character's time spent on a sea ship. Did the player spend time on the ship? Not really, a stretch at best. Did the character? Definitly. I would consider Story Objects akin to the Living campaigns' certs. If someone can make a good case for why Story Objects would be player based I'm open to ideas, but at this point it would take a lot to convince me short of an official ruling. As to if the Story Objects should be handed over, I'd say they might have to be voided, but not nessicarily handed over. They aren't the DM's property just because he may have killed the character. Andrew Beard
ajpopp 08-25-05, 10:10 PM	Thanks for the input so far. Frankly, I could argue either side. I'm wondering if there's an official ruling. As for a new character not participating in previous scenarios, that's only true in our reality...after all, with the level kick, I can create a new character who has presumably had adventures. Why can't they be the same adventures my old character went on? Anyway, for continuity it seems reasonable that the character gives up the object. However, as a rewards system for playing, I could see players keeping them. If the objects belong to characters, it's really the only reward for playing in the scenarios. My friends and I played all but one before the level bump, and we only just made 3rd level...so, with the scarcity of adventures, it's difficult (if not impossible) to stay ahead of the level kick. Now, as an aside, if I DM a MoH scenario, how would I know what story objects a player/character is entitled to? I suppose looking at the play summary on the character record...but do they provide info to cross-reference story objects?
grahamdrew 08-26-05, 06:49 AM	Now, as an aside, if I DM a MoH scenario, how would I know what story objects a player/character is entitled to? I suppose looking at the play summary on the character record...but do they provide info to cross-reference story objects? Well, that's the thing. If players kept the story objects, you don't. The character record only displays mods played by that character. If it was player specific you'd really have no clue, as it wouldn't display mods the player has done with other characters. If it's character specific you'd have to know which Story Objects go with which mod, but then again I've made a habit of signing, dating, and putting the mod name on the back of all Story Objects I issue. On a related note the last time I reported LotGR results there were two new columns labled "cert 1" and "cert 2." The modules I was reporting didn't have any story objects involved, but I remember someone mentioning D&D Campaigns was going to start tracking Story Objects online. Anybody know if the two are related? Andrew Beard
DoveArrow 08-26-05, 04:48 PM	If it's character specific you'd have to know which Story Objects go with which mod, but then again I've made a habit of signing, dating, and putting the mod name on the back of all Story Objects I issue. That is a brilliant idea. From now on, I will be doing the same.