Hello lovely peoples.
I am a new DM and I am pondering a question about how to reward players with cool stuff.
My question is about a Monk character of mine, I had this idea that he would meet a NPC (would take too long to explain the setting etc) who would teach him a new and improved way to meditate, the result being he would have an extra 2 Ki points to spend.
I don't know if that works well as a replacement to a magic item or if it would unballance things....so advice would be handy please 
Thanks!
The problem with that is that it's a replacement for a magic item, but not consuming any resources or attunement slots. So, that monk can still use magic items, should any arise that interest him. I'd recommend just creating a magic item that grants that effect. Like a necklace or a ring or something that requires attunement.
transcendantviewer wrote:
No problem.
Agreed, a permanent alteration to a player's abilities might be more in the style of an epic boon granted by a deity (see the DMG). But there's nothing wrong with getting creative about unusual boons, maybe a fountain that boosts something for a week, or a one-time blessing from a ghostly spirit sent to rest, or a small bag of magic coins (each one vanishes after being tossed into any fountain, 50/50 to get +1 or -1 ki points for a day). With temporary boons, if you accidentally introduce something your game shouldn't have, it'll be gone when used.
What about allowing a permanent +2 Ki bonus at 4th level in lieu of the ability score adjustment or feat?
Making it a feat is manageable, but ultimately, makes the character much more powerful than you'd expect. The only balancing system would be to create similar feat buffs for other characters, and create unique prerequisites for said feats, which goes against 5e's design philosophy. I once toyed with the idea of creating feats like these, but giving them the prerequisite of a certain number of levels in a specific class. For instance, I did work on creating a Monk Feat that offered more Ki Points, but required 4 or more levels Monk. I decided to scrap the idea because it started acting wonky with rules that were already established. I personally still hold to the idea of making it a magic item that requires attunement by a Monk. That way, other characters can't just abuse its effects.
There are other ways to reward characters as well, it doesn't only have to be special powers. I have a cleric in my campaign, who is allowed to meditate to his deity to get advise/direction. You could also reward characters in the form of powerful allies.
Thanks again for the excellent replies, I have found them extremely useful