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Best Way to Award Treasure Using Rules Compendium?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
aharlannow
Dec 07, 2010 20:17:38 Pretty much what the titles says. I'm starting up a Dark Sun game shortly and was wondering what is the best way to combine the scarcity of magic items on Athas and the treasure rolling from the Rules Compendium.

If any of you out there have successfully (or unsuccessfully) combined these two things, I'd love to hear your results.
#2
Ozmodious
Dec 07, 2010 21:44:14 I give coin and favors for rewards... occasionally I drop a magic item. My group has 1 magic item each and around 300gp and most of them have just hit level 4. There was 2 potions of fruit that I dished out that were spent around level 2 and that is it for me. Thinking when they hit level 5 they will be ready for another magic item.
#3
Alphastream
Dec 07, 2010 22:11:37 I haven't rolled for treasure in a long time. I prefer, especially with Dark Sun, to "unlock" items and PC aspects. For example, after a combat they find a bolt of rare silk. In town, when they seek a buyer, they are directed to a noble that seeks fine silk. He offers them training from either his weapons master or his psionic teacher. This reward could be a broad category (such as choose one wild talent) or specific (to you, Mul Fighter, he trains you in the ways of his guards, granting you the ability, once/day, to gain 5+inherent bonus temporary hit points). The later would be some actual property or power from a magic item, but it becomes bound to the PC rather than being from a weapon/armor/etc.

You could roll for that, of course, perhaps just as a way to gather ideas.

If you want to still use random treasure but like the resource trading, then give the PCs nonmagical stuff of value, and when they go to the Elven Market or similar they can see what is in stock... which would be what you happen to roll. The stock would stay the same until the next adventure, so they may end up waiting for better picks (this acts as a magic item power limit of sorts).
#4
Matthew_AC
Dec 08, 2010 8:38:34
I This reward could be a broad category (such as choose one wild talent) or specific (to you, Mul Fighter, he trains you in the ways of his guards, granting you the ability, once/day, to gain 5+inherent bonus temporary hit points). The later would be some actual property or power from a magic item, but it becomes bound to the PC rather than being from a weapon/armor/etc.

I was going to jump in with my idea . . . but alpha beat me to it. I still *use* treasure . . . but instead of the bonuses they provide coming from magic items, they are now inherent bonuses reflecting the PCs training and skill. Or badassedness if you will.
#5
DontEatRawHagis
Dec 08, 2010 9:24:13 I'm planning on rewarding one of my players with two "brutal" knives. They are just normal knives with the brutal quality added to them, this way his luck of rolling only 1's on d4s might end. Some of the weapon qualities I've found pretty interesting for creating non-magical items.
#6
Alphastream
Dec 08, 2010 12:01:53 That's the nice thing about these kinds of rewards. You can tailor them to the party. Also, you can make it fun without breaking the game. If the seeker is doing ungodly damage, you can give them a cool daily for when they need to shine, or even a defensive benefit, rather than a property that will give them more damage constantly. You end up with a much more sane campaign.

I used the random treasure tables in AD&D, largely because I didn't have better ideas or understand item balance. A ring of wishes shows up, fine, so be it. But it resulted in balance issues and equity issues with the other PCs. You can easily alternate strong/weak/medium when giving out treasure rewards without resorting to a random system. And, you avoid having treasure no one wants at all.

The really nice part about just creating custom rewards is that you can have them be role-playing links to the PC's backstory and to the plot. The warlord in my campaign likes to give out orders and encourage others, so I gave two dailies that further that (and help keep the party on their feet), but also have some interesting self-sacrifice aspects. For the PC that did some interesting things, now they receive a very strange award... a Veiled Alliance member told him he had someone else's spirit hiding within him. The spirit was extracted and bound into an orb, providing powers. This will continue to unfold over time, so long as the PC is enjoying this. Another PC, with backstory to having been made a warlock by templars, found he can strangely use a rod that only templars of the city-state should be able to use... which opens up interesting ideas/RP. The thri-kreen decided to eat a templar... and now finds tiny obsidian orbs have been swallowed and exist within him, giving powers. Those may continue to manifest and develop. It all creates a strong RP basis, provides the DM with control, and is a lot more custom and entertaining than just rolling and seeing what you end up with.

But, I do think you could combine rolling with some other methods. The market idea could work. Roll, stock the market, and add some story elements over time. That one magic weapon? The weaponsmith says he can enhance it... if you bring back the ichor of a certain creature.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aharlannow Dec 07, 2010 20:17:38	Pretty much what the titles says. I'm starting up a Dark Sun game shortly and was wondering what is the best way to combine the scarcity of magic items on Athas and the treasure rolling from the Rules Compendium. If any of you out there have successfully (or unsuccessfully) combined these two things, I'd love to hear your results.
#2 Ozmodious Dec 07, 2010 21:44:14	I give coin and favors for rewards... occasionally I drop a magic item. My group has 1 magic item each and around 300gp and most of them have just hit level 4. There was 2 potions of fruit that I dished out that were spent around level 2 and that is it for me. Thinking when they hit level 5 they will be ready for another magic item.
#3 Alphastream Dec 07, 2010 22:11:37	I haven't rolled for treasure in a long time. I prefer, especially with Dark Sun, to "unlock" items and PC aspects. For example, after a combat they find a bolt of rare silk. In town, when they seek a buyer, they are directed to a noble that seeks fine silk. He offers them training from either his weapons master or his psionic teacher. This reward could be a broad category (such as choose one wild talent) or specific (to you, Mul Fighter, he trains you in the ways of his guards, granting you the ability, once/day, to gain 5+inherent bonus temporary hit points). The later would be some actual property or power from a magic item, but it becomes bound to the PC rather than being from a weapon/armor/etc. You could roll for that, of course, perhaps just as a way to gather ideas. If you want to still use random treasure but like the resource trading, then give the PCs nonmagical stuff of value, and when they go to the Elven Market or similar they can see what is in stock... which would be what you happen to roll. The stock would stay the same until the next adventure, so they may end up waiting for better picks (this acts as a magic item power limit of sorts).
#4 Matthew_AC Dec 08, 2010 8:38:34	I This reward could be a broad category (such as choose one wild talent) or specific (to you, Mul Fighter, he trains you in the ways of his guards, granting you the ability, once/day, to gain 5+inherent bonus temporary hit points). The later would be some actual property or power from a magic item, but it becomes bound to the PC rather than being from a weapon/armor/etc. I was going to jump in with my idea . . . but alpha beat me to it. I still use treasure . . . but instead of the bonuses they provide coming from magic items, they are now inherent bonuses reflecting the PCs training and skill. Or badassedness if you will.
#5 DontEatRawHagis Dec 08, 2010 9:24:13	I'm planning on rewarding one of my players with two "brutal" knives. They are just normal knives with the brutal quality added to them, this way his luck of rolling only 1's on d4s might end. Some of the weapon qualities I've found pretty interesting for creating non-magical items.
#6 Alphastream Dec 08, 2010 12:01:53	That's the nice thing about these kinds of rewards. You can tailor them to the party. Also, you can make it fun without breaking the game. If the seeker is doing ungodly damage, you can give them a cool daily for when they need to shine, or even a defensive benefit, rather than a property that will give them more damage constantly. You end up with a much more sane campaign. I used the random treasure tables in AD&D, largely because I didn't have better ideas or understand item balance. A ring of wishes shows up, fine, so be it. But it resulted in balance issues and equity issues with the other PCs. You can easily alternate strong/weak/medium when giving out treasure rewards without resorting to a random system. And, you avoid having treasure no one wants at all. The really nice part about just creating custom rewards is that you can have them be role-playing links to the PC's backstory and to the plot. The warlord in my campaign likes to give out orders and encourage others, so I gave two dailies that further that (and help keep the party on their feet), but also have some interesting self-sacrifice aspects. For the PC that did some interesting things, now they receive a very strange award... a Veiled Alliance member told him he had someone else's spirit hiding within him. The spirit was extracted and bound into an orb, providing powers. This will continue to unfold over time, so long as the PC is enjoying this. Another PC, with backstory to having been made a warlock by templars, found he can strangely use a rod that only templars of the city-state should be able to use... which opens up interesting ideas/RP. The thri-kreen decided to eat a templar... and now finds tiny obsidian orbs have been swallowed and exist within him, giving powers. Those may continue to manifest and develop. It all creates a strong RP basis, provides the DM with control, and is a lot more custom and entertaining than just rolling and seeing what you end up with. But, I do think you could combine rolling with some other methods. The market idea could work. Roll, stock the market, and add some story elements over time. That one magic weapon? The weaponsmith says he can enhance it... if you bring back the ichor of a certain creature.