Alternate awards for good RPing [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternate awards for good RPing [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
FiendishDireWeasel
12-11-03, 02:27 AM Anybody have a good system for non treasure/XP awards for players who really shine in a session?

I'm looking for some ideas for alternate awards to get my group excited about RPing.

I really liked the "fate chip" system that Deadlands used and am trying to work something similar.

I'll still be giving XP for encounters and what not, but I would like to be able to give a player something different when they really wow me with something they do in game...
the_heart
12-11-03, 05:51 AM i'm not familiar with deadlands, so if this duplicates my apologies.

re-roll, as per luck domain granted power, but only usable once.

action dice, adds a dice roll to the result of any one roll. again, can only be used the once. you can vary the type of die depending on how impressed you are or always make it one type, and issue more of them.

RP benefit, an NPC is particularly helpful/always friendly. safe house/base of operations.

minor mechanical benefit, +2 to a chosen skill, +1 to one save, reduced requirements to access a PrC(these are close to treasure, so may not be ideal)

hope that helps.
Dryder
12-11-03, 05:55 AM What I tried lately was the HERO POINT - SYSTEM from Monte Cook in his Arcana Unearthed!

This, as a side effect, gets the players to great ROLEplaying!
You should have a look at those HERO POINTS!!!

I'm very tired presently, but if someone's interested, I will write about how this systems work. But I think a lot of people know it already...
Astros_Icebear
12-11-03, 10:22 AM I'm also not familair witht he deadlands system, but we use this occasionaly (when we remember) in our games.

Get some poker chips, give each player 5 or 10. Sometimes we give each player 5 and 1 gold chip or something.

When another player does something great, the actual players can reward them by throwing a chip their way.

Regular chips are worth about 5% of the expereince between that players current levels, and gold chips are worth about 10%.

Leftover or unused chips dont count for anything.

It works well, try it. Even if the first couple times ppl give chips for stupid things :)
Wazir Kazam
12-11-03, 10:34 AM Dryder of Germany,

I'm interested in that Hero Point System.

Where can I find it?

Wazir of New York.
YRM
12-11-03, 12:04 PM Roleplaying can often involve skill checks, done by the DM.

A character roleplaying an encounter with an indifferent or friendly shop keeper or magistrate is actually potentially making diplomacy checks. Roll checks to see if the character is affecting the mood of the NPC (but don't let the character know). Give them +2, +4 or eve +6 bonuses for good RP.

This will reward them for putting points into diplomacy, AND reward them for good RP. The manifestation of this is when the shop keeper gives them better deals, or the magistrate calls on the party for help, and gives them extra potions or pay to make sure they succeed.

Other good roleplaying could be classified as Intimidate, Bluff, Sense Motive, or various other checks.

Try to have a list of your party's checks handy, and know what to roll for what situation (diplomacy = true conversation, bluff = falsce conversation, intimidate = threatening conversation, etc.). A bard's storytelling (perform) check might come into play as he entertains the king with the story of the party's quest, and influence the amount of reward the king will give.

If there is a pit to jump over, and the level 1 characters are standing there talking about what to do, and one of them comes up with a really good way of jumping the pit, maybe some kind of system to lower the risk, you would give them a bonus to their jump check right?

So, if you reward good ideas by granting bonuses to disarming traps, balancing across a wet ledge, or whatever, then why not do the same for the checks associated with RP? You can even give penalties to those checks when someone just says, "I bluff the guard to think I'm on his side" (but doesn't act it out)

The actual rewards from succeeding at more of those checks can vary from having a new ally in town, to getting paid more, to getting a deal on purchases, to getting key information, or even having someone offer the party an item that will help them on an upcoming quest. I doubt many players would say that these kinds of rewards are less significant than EXP.

If you must do an EXP reward, it's not bad to give your players a secret ballot, tell them to vote for two players that RPed the best and made the evening the most fun for everyone else. Then, give a small amount of EXP to the top two vote getters. This reminds them that RP, and the enjoyment of the others at the table, is important.
bitnine
12-11-03, 12:17 PM That's easy. At least one of the experience points awarded at the end of each session is for roleplaying, and by portraying and fulfilling their character's nature, they regain willpower points. Wait... Crap, wrong system.

I've seen points awared for good RP; I think the name I liked best for them were "Plot Points," that would, among other things, allow for a certain amount of dice fudging or some willpower/action point type effects. (These can be particularly valuable when they allow a structured system for rerolling, avoiding death, and otherwise using justified plot concerns to keep a character from being killed in a game where there's no fudgery.)

The above is for portraying a character well in a session and really getting into character; for particular in-game actions I usually would go with just what YRM stated, have them say something in character and then make a roll with a +/- dependant on what they said.
Dryder
12-11-03, 07:00 PM Originally posted by Wazir Kazam
Dryder of Germany,
I'm interested in that Hero Point System.
Where can I find it?
Wazir of New York.

The System is found in "ARCANA UNEARTHED" by Monte Cook, from Sword&Sorcery, page 162 + 163!

All in all its about certain actions a PC may take!
If, at some point, a PC is doing something which is selfless, brave so to say "heroic" the DM may grant a hero point for that PC.
Those Hero Points may be used in different kind of ways... some examples:

1) On his turn for the attack, the PC states he wants to use a hero point and his attack will get a +20 bonus!
If the attack would have hit without the +20 bonus, the damage will be doubled (even critical).

2) A PC can use a HP when it's not his turn, to get a full rounds worth action out of normal ini sequence.

3) Grant a +20 bonus in a given save roll, once. etc., etc. ...

There are a lot of other possibilities, which you will find in the book!
Hope this helped!
NeutralNeutral
12-12-03, 06:19 AM What exactly is good RPing. I think theres two different aspects:

1. Good ideas, good interaction with NPC's etc.

Normally this should be its own reward, but you can reward it further with "Idea" XP. Instead if divvying up XP equally, reserve a portion (25%?), and distribute that according to who had the ideas.

2. Good play

ie. Not-metagaming. Keeping in character. Playing along when charmed or similar. etc.

Which could be rewarded with Hero points.
wolfgir
12-12-03, 08:37 AM You can grant bonuses to skills in the current situation, disregard gamestatistic effects, like a person with low charisma gets liked or are seen in a favourable way.

Gain allies. Allies are always good to have, if you do something really brave people will like you. You are then a hero and heroes are treated better. Kind heroes that are good examples and honest will be well liked by orders and might even be rewarded for their deeds etc.

The heroe point system sounds pretty strong and powerful. How many heroe points can one get?
bitnine
12-12-03, 10:01 AM Originally posted by wolfgir
Gain allies. Allies are always good to have, if you do something really brave people will like you. You are then a hero and heroes are treated better. Kind heroes that are good examples and honest will be well liked by orders and might even be rewarded for their deeds etc.

Well... I'm not sure that's entirely the point. Some of this is rewards for playing your character well. Not playing your character as charming, heroic, and magnanimous. Given particular characters, the two can even be exclusive to an extent. Rewarding a person for playing a certain way despite their character's personality makes it a highly inaccurate portrayal seems a little bit off.
Dungeon_Master
12-12-03, 02:15 PM Not all reward need be treasure or XP. Some of what I'm talking about goes into "Mature Thinktank", but who says that a pat on the back from an NPC, or a kiss from fair lady isn't a nice reward?

Ok, maybe not everyone finds much in thanks or freindship from NPCs, but still.
imayb1
12-12-03, 02:51 PM Originally posted by Dungeon_Master
Not all reward need be treasure or XP...

I AGREE!

I like to use ideas from a Dragon Magazine printed in May of '95. It has twelve tables of non-monetary benefits... eg: Table 1. Honors. 1. recognition or mention from an important NPC, a proclomation. (+1 reaction adjustment for d3 months). 2. Honorary appointment/degree, like leading the parade. (+1 reaction adjustment for 3-6 months). 3. Decoration/award, like a medal or trophy. (+1 rctn. adj. for 6-12 months)... There are also things like titles and real estate, patronage, court positions, elite employment, etc.

Rewards like white elephants (high honor, high expense) can lead to many more adventures, and everyone has a personal stake in it when it belongs to them. :smirk:

My group also uses a 'poker chip' system. Players or the GM can award a player for a particulary good piece of role-playing, or for a good idea. The chips can be cashed in for extra XP (that crucial 200 XP it takes to level-up), skill points, combat bonuses, etc. The cost in chips varies for the prize desired.
Dryder
12-12-03, 05:30 PM Originally posted by imayb1
I AGREE!

ME, TOO! :rolleyes:

I once got a kiss from a lovely rogue girl! God, for sessions I tried to make her my girlfriend. Well, after a very tough session she finally gave in and..., well..., ahem...

Why I tell you this?! First I thought, cool, great reward, my PC got her love! After our first night together, when my DM told me, that my PC felt VERY WEAK, I started realizing, that she's a succubus...

The end of it... we never kissed again, but stick together as a couple, a deadly one that is!
fistanthius
12-12-03, 06:50 PM If my players rollplay good, I don't hit them with a stun gun on the way out.
elven high mage
12-14-03, 08:44 AM I have never realy thought about this before but i think that food could be a good motive to play good! a big bag of those mini mars bars could help. It may seem like you are treating the PCs like children but it might work.
You could also put that extra bit of pizza thats leftover to good use. The best roleplayer gets it!:) :D :rolleyes:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
FiendishDireWeasel 12-11-03, 02:27 AM	Anybody have a good system for non treasure/XP awards for players who really shine in a session? I'm looking for some ideas for alternate awards to get my group excited about RPing. I really liked the "fate chip" system that Deadlands used and am trying to work something similar. I'll still be giving XP for encounters and what not, but I would like to be able to give a player something different when they really wow me with something they do in game...
the_heart 12-11-03, 05:51 AM	i'm not familiar with deadlands, so if this duplicates my apologies. re-roll, as per luck domain granted power, but only usable once. action dice, adds a dice roll to the result of any one roll. again, can only be used the once. you can vary the type of die depending on how impressed you are or always make it one type, and issue more of them. RP benefit, an NPC is particularly helpful/always friendly. safe house/base of operations. minor mechanical benefit, +2 to a chosen skill, +1 to one save, reduced requirements to access a PrC(these are close to treasure, so may not be ideal) hope that helps.
Dryder 12-11-03, 05:55 AM	What I tried lately was the HERO POINT - SYSTEM from Monte Cook in his Arcana Unearthed! This, as a side effect, gets the players to great ROLEplaying! You should have a look at those HERO POINTS!!! I'm very tired presently, but if someone's interested, I will write about how this systems work. But I think a lot of people know it already...
Astros_Icebear 12-11-03, 10:22 AM	I'm also not familair witht he deadlands system, but we use this occasionaly (when we remember) in our games. Get some poker chips, give each player 5 or 10. Sometimes we give each player 5 and 1 gold chip or something. When another player does something great, the actual players can reward them by throwing a chip their way. Regular chips are worth about 5% of the expereince between that players current levels, and gold chips are worth about 10%. Leftover or unused chips dont count for anything. It works well, try it. Even if the first couple times ppl give chips for stupid things :)
Wazir Kazam 12-11-03, 10:34 AM	Dryder of Germany, I'm interested in that Hero Point System. Where can I find it? Wazir of New York.
YRM 12-11-03, 12:04 PM	Roleplaying can often involve skill checks, done by the DM. A character roleplaying an encounter with an indifferent or friendly shop keeper or magistrate is actually potentially making diplomacy checks. Roll checks to see if the character is affecting the mood of the NPC (but don't let the character know). Give them +2, +4 or eve +6 bonuses for good RP. This will reward them for putting points into diplomacy, AND reward them for good RP. The manifestation of this is when the shop keeper gives them better deals, or the magistrate calls on the party for help, and gives them extra potions or pay to make sure they succeed. Other good roleplaying could be classified as Intimidate, Bluff, Sense Motive, or various other checks. Try to have a list of your party's checks handy, and know what to roll for what situation (diplomacy = true conversation, bluff = falsce conversation, intimidate = threatening conversation, etc.). A bard's storytelling (perform) check might come into play as he entertains the king with the story of the party's quest, and influence the amount of reward the king will give. If there is a pit to jump over, and the level 1 characters are standing there talking about what to do, and one of them comes up with a really good way of jumping the pit, maybe some kind of system to lower the risk, you would give them a bonus to their jump check right? So, if you reward good ideas by granting bonuses to disarming traps, balancing across a wet ledge, or whatever, then why not do the same for the checks associated with RP? You can even give penalties to those checks when someone just says, "I bluff the guard to think I'm on his side" (but doesn't act it out) The actual rewards from succeeding at more of those checks can vary from having a new ally in town, to getting paid more, to getting a deal on purchases, to getting key information, or even having someone offer the party an item that will help them on an upcoming quest. I doubt many players would say that these kinds of rewards are less significant than EXP. If you must do an EXP reward, it's not bad to give your players a secret ballot, tell them to vote for two players that RPed the best and made the evening the most fun for everyone else. Then, give a small amount of EXP to the top two vote getters. This reminds them that RP, and the enjoyment of the others at the table, is important.
bitnine 12-11-03, 12:17 PM	That's easy. At least one of the experience points awarded at the end of each session is for roleplaying, and by portraying and fulfilling their character's nature, they regain willpower points. Wait... Crap, wrong system. I've seen points awared for good RP; I think the name I liked best for them were "Plot Points," that would, among other things, allow for a certain amount of dice fudging or some willpower/action point type effects. (These can be particularly valuable when they allow a structured system for rerolling, avoiding death, and otherwise using justified plot concerns to keep a character from being killed in a game where there's no fudgery.) The above is for portraying a character well in a session and really getting into character; for particular in-game actions I usually would go with just what YRM stated, have them say something in character and then make a roll with a +/- dependant on what they said.
Dryder 12-11-03, 07:00 PM	Originally posted by Wazir Kazam Dryder of Germany, I'm interested in that Hero Point System. Where can I find it? Wazir of New York. The System is found in "ARCANA UNEARTHED" by Monte Cook, from Sword&Sorcery, page 162 + 163! All in all its about certain actions a PC may take! If, at some point, a PC is doing something which is selfless, brave so to say "heroic" the DM may grant a hero point for that PC. Those Hero Points may be used in different kind of ways... some examples: 1) On his turn for the attack, the PC states he wants to use a hero point and his attack will get a +20 bonus! If the attack would have hit without the +20 bonus, the damage will be doubled (even critical). 2) A PC can use a HP when it's not his turn, to get a full rounds worth action out of normal ini sequence. 3) Grant a +20 bonus in a given save roll, once. etc., etc. ... There are a lot of other possibilities, which you will find in the book! Hope this helped!
NeutralNeutral 12-12-03, 06:19 AM	What exactly is good RPing. I think theres two different aspects: 1. Good ideas, good interaction with NPC's etc. Normally this should be its own reward, but you can reward it further with "Idea" XP. Instead if divvying up XP equally, reserve a portion (25%?), and distribute that according to who had the ideas. 2. Good play ie. Not-metagaming. Keeping in character. Playing along when charmed or similar. etc. Which could be rewarded with Hero points.
wolfgir 12-12-03, 08:37 AM	You can grant bonuses to skills in the current situation, disregard gamestatistic effects, like a person with low charisma gets liked or are seen in a favourable way. Gain allies. Allies are always good to have, if you do something really brave people will like you. You are then a hero and heroes are treated better. Kind heroes that are good examples and honest will be well liked by orders and might even be rewarded for their deeds etc. The heroe point system sounds pretty strong and powerful. How many heroe points can one get?
bitnine 12-12-03, 10:01 AM	Originally posted by wolfgir Gain allies. Allies are always good to have, if you do something really brave people will like you. You are then a hero and heroes are treated better. Kind heroes that are good examples and honest will be well liked by orders and might even be rewarded for their deeds etc. Well... I'm not sure that's entirely the point. Some of this is rewards for playing your character well. Not playing your character as charming, heroic, and magnanimous. Given particular characters, the two can even be exclusive to an extent. Rewarding a person for playing a certain way despite their character's personality makes it a highly inaccurate portrayal seems a little bit off.
Dungeon_Master 12-12-03, 02:15 PM	Not all reward need be treasure or XP. Some of what I'm talking about goes into "Mature Thinktank", but who says that a pat on the back from an NPC, or a kiss from fair lady isn't a nice reward? Ok, maybe not everyone finds much in thanks or freindship from NPCs, but still.
imayb1 12-12-03, 02:51 PM	Originally posted by Dungeon_Master Not all reward need be treasure or XP... I AGREE! I like to use ideas from a Dragon Magazine printed in May of '95. It has twelve tables of non-monetary benefits... eg: Table 1. Honors. 1. recognition or mention from an important NPC, a proclomation. (+1 reaction adjustment for d3 months). 2. Honorary appointment/degree, like leading the parade. (+1 reaction adjustment for 3-6 months). 3. Decoration/award, like a medal or trophy. (+1 rctn. adj. for 6-12 months)... There are also things like titles and real estate, patronage, court positions, elite employment, etc. Rewards like white elephants (high honor, high expense) can lead to many more adventures, and everyone has a personal stake in it when it belongs to them. :smirk: My group also uses a 'poker chip' system. Players or the GM can award a player for a particulary good piece of role-playing, or for a good idea. The chips can be cashed in for extra XP (that crucial 200 XP it takes to level-up), skill points, combat bonuses, etc. The cost in chips varies for the prize desired.
Dryder 12-12-03, 05:30 PM	Originally posted by imayb1 I AGREE! ME, TOO! :rolleyes: I once got a kiss from a lovely rogue girl! God, for sessions I tried to make her my girlfriend. Well, after a very tough session she finally gave in and..., well..., ahem... Why I tell you this?! First I thought, cool, great reward, my PC got her love! After our first night together, when my DM told me, that my PC felt VERY WEAK, I started realizing, that she's a succubus... The end of it... we never kissed again, but stick together as a couple, a deadly one that is!
fistanthius 12-12-03, 06:50 PM	If my players rollplay good, I don't hit them with a stun gun on the way out.
elven high mage 12-14-03, 08:44 AM	I have never realy thought about this before but i think that food could be a good motive to play good! a big bag of those mini mars bars could help. It may seem like you are treating the PCs like children but it might work. You could also put that extra bit of pizza thats leftover to good use. The best roleplayer gets it!:) :D :rolleyes: