Everyone agreed this was fair. However, after the game he came to me and asked: "Don't get me wrong, I like the bonus XP, but is it possible that I be rewarded some other way?"
I asked him if he had anything in mind and he said 'not really' simply that he thought he would ask.
So I pondered bout it for a day and have come up with next to didley-squat. I was thinking about giving him a one time use extra die (similar to ebberon.) but that is about all I have.
I don't really feel like giving him Items, so I am looking for an interesting way to reward him, and keep hitting dead ends.
Suggestions?
The real question is, "what does this player get excited about?" That should be a good clue as to how to reward him.
You seem to be talking about action points, and that's certainly one interesting reward. You could also try unique or custom magical treasures. Depending on the player, roleplaying rewards can also be great. A plot of land, a castle, or a reputation that can get the attention of royals could be great. Does the player's character have some personal goals? If so, maybe you should let him make significant progress towards one of them.
The real question is, "what does this player get excited about?" That should be a good clue as to how to reward him.
And therein lies the problem. The character has no 'goals' other than to get better. He said from the beginning he is just a guy who likes excitement, adventure, and fighting. He plays his character very well. The player did something I never expected from him in a million years.
If you are curious what he did:
Show
The party rogue and the party monk had both rolled initiative. They were about to go at it over a 'belt of giant strength +2' They knew what it was thanks to the Dragonfire adept. They weren't really fighting over the belt. It was more over the fact that the rogue had been mocking the monk from day one and the monk was finally sick of it. It was all in-character, which is why I didn't step in. None of it was without point, everything that happened made sense. The Monk was picking the belt up off the Minor boss they just defeated and the rogue snatched it off the ground before the monk could grab it. (I incurred a reflex check on both of their parts to see who would grab it first, the rogue won by an astonishing amount) The monk demanded it back, explaining he would need it much more as he is constantly in combat head on, whereas the rogue, although in combat often, is more often using ranged attacks. The rogue said there was only one way the Monk would be getting the belt, as he drew his rapier. As they were just about to roll initiative, the normally very quiet, to himself, fighter with an int and wis of 16, stepped foreward and delivered a speech to the two about how they are a team. And teams work together, the fighting they have been doing needs to stop before someone seriously gets hurt. Then he pulled out of his backpack a second belt of giants strength. He said he found it while looting another corpse when they were fighting. Out of character he explained that was the notes we were passing back and fourth. I confirmed this. He handed it to the monk and asked them to work as a team. Or not work together at all. They were both taken aback out of character and in. Normally the player would have just greedily taken it, but instead remained in character and elected to aid the party as a whole rather than just himself. A view his character has had since the beginning.
Give him followers, even if he doesn't have the leadership feat.
This might include a young but enthusiastic warrior looking to be a squire of some descriptor, or maybe an expert playing standard bearer for him.
Or perhaps Some intelligent (but weak - think CR 1/2 at most) monster race that sees his selfless deed and decides to follow him.
I think this guy will make a good leader.
what class is he BTW?
Otherwise you could hook him up with a organisation, PHB2 has some great rules about that. And everytime he or if anyone does something great, they get a bit better reputation.
Give him a skillpoint, for example. Or the Toughness feat as a freebie.
Fate points are a very valuable resource in the Conan D20 game. You can use it to automatically survive something that would be otherwise fatal (if the dm allows in that instance. no jumping into a pit of lava and saying "i spend a fate point."), to do max damage on an attack (the lamest use), or best of all to advance a story line. For example' if the characters need a place to hide out in a city a player can spend a fate point to know somebody in town who will hide them.
Wow, sounds like you've got a leader there.
Give him followers, even if he doesn't have the leadership feat.
This might include a young but enthusiastic warrior looking to be a squire of some descriptor, or maybe an expert playing standard bearer for him.
Or perhaps Some intelligent (but weak - think CR 1/2 at most) monster race that sees his selfless deed and decides to follow him.
I think this guy will make a good leader.
what class is he BTW?
He is a Fighter.
The PC is a fighter as far as I can understand. But I must admit I like the idea about the followers, just avoid the powerfull ones, maybe for the ones that can give bonuses to his gather info checks and similar things.
Otherwise you could hook him up with a organization, PHB2 has some great rules about that. And everytime he or if anyone does something great, they get a bit better reputation.
I will have to read up on this.
Have you considered permanent mechanical options?
Give him a skillpoint, for example. Or the Toughness feat as a freebie.
This is closer to what I would like to do. Something mechanical and permanent, but not amazing. I was thinking perhaps on of the feats that give you 2 or 3 low level spells per day. I think he would like this more than lets say, toughness.
I second Edymnion's general suggestion. But more specifically, I'd say a Marshal or Dragon Shaman aura would make sense. See the Miniatures Handbook or Dragon magic, respectively, for these rules. If you do not have access to these sources, what about Inspire Courage (Like a bard) or something similar. Instead of music, he uses inspiring speech and directing tactics to grant the bonus.
Those are really good Ideas.
How about a Fate point?
Fate points are a very valuable resource in the Conan D20 game. You can use it to automatically survive something that would be otherwise fatal (if the dm allows in that instance. no jumping into a pit of lava and saying "i spend a fate point."), to do max damage on an attack (the lamest use), or best of all to advance a story line. For example' if the characters need a place to hide out in a city a player can spend a fate point to know somebody in town who will hide them.
This is an interesting and alien concept to me. It seems quite appropriate.
I think in the end what I will do Is choose the following choices
1 Fate point -
1 Reroll -
1 marshall/Draconic aura usable X times per day where x = HD -
1 Feat (Improved toughness, one of the spell feats, ect)
1 Follower (there will be many choices, each granting a bonus on a skill IE Gather info)
1 Intelligent Item - Nothing superspecial awesome, but something I think he would enjoy.
I with some of those there are multiple choices, I will let him draw from a proverbial hat 3 times. Each time he draws he can keep the one he has, or take another, until (if) he gets to the third, he has to keep it.
It seems fair, and a fun way to get ready for the game.
Opinions?
Also! Thank you everyone for your assistance.
He is a Fighter.
I will have to read up on this.
This is closer to what I would like to do. Something mechanical and permanent, but not amazing. I was thinking perhaps on of the feats that give you 2 or 3 low level spells per day. I think he would like this more than lets say, toughness.
Those are really good Ideas.
This is an interesting and alien concept to me. It seems quite appropriate.
I think in the end what I will do Is choose the following choices
1 Fate point -
1 Reroll -
1 marshall/Draconic aura usable X times per day where x = HD -
1 Feat (Improved toughness, one of the spell feats, ect)
1 Follower (there will be many choices, each granting a bonus on a skill IE Gather info)
1 Intelligent Item - Nothing superspecial awesome, but something I think he would enjoy.
I with some of those there are multiple choices, I will let him draw from a proverbial hat 3 times. Each time he draws he can keep the one he has, or take another, until (if) he gets to the third, he has to keep it.
It seems fair, and a fun way to get ready for the game.
Opinions?
Also! Thank you everyone for your assistance.
i have an opinion/idea:
maby you could give him a little of a lot:
he gets LAND. the land has a SQUIRE who heard of his deed and wants to join him. the little guy proves himself by blessing the knight with a NEW FEAT. the side affect of this blessing is a ONE REROLL!
REWARD: land, follower, feat, and reroll. do you like it? will he?
:D :D :DLet some scenarios pass. if he's got sustained superior performance, give him a small keep that needs repaired, and deed to land, on some abandoned moor.
He'll need to patrol the area, set up a local village, pacify and drain the swamps, and arrange for keep repairs.
Maybe he'll go for it.
Then the team has a base, and are tied more to the game.
Is there a deity in your pantheon that represents Peace, Generosity, Kindness, etc.? Have a cleric of that faith approach the fighter. The cleric received a vision of the fighter from his deity of this deed. The deity was touched that despite his vocation of fighting, which the deity is not admonishing, the fighter's soul is Pure and True. He's an inspiration the cleric can now use for his flock. The cleric gives him a charm that provides a +2 unnamed bonus to his Will save and takes up no item slot. The cleric does not preach for conversion nor is it required. Do this in private with the player as a case of specialness for the moment. The monk and rogue need only know of his actions for their inspiration.
Perhaps one of the fighter's non-magical items becomes magical. It could provide the +2 Will save bonus or something else. An AC bonus works. If the fighter examines it closely he will see a small holy symbol of that deity, perhaps his own deity, perhaps both.
This is closer to what I would like to do. Something mechanical and permanent, but not amazing. I was thinking perhaps on of the feats that give you 2 or 3 low level spells per day. I think he would like this more than lets say, toughness.
It depends a lot on how often you want to do this.
Whatever you do here is going to set the precedence, and other players will expect at least as much for doing something equally cool. Something like Toughness is pretty minor (3 lousy hitpoints, but it lets him qualify for some good PrC without wasting a feat), so it doesn't matter if you give it out to everybody in the party. Other feats like Endurance work well too.
A single skillpoint doesn't sound like much, but they add up pretty fast if you start giving them out as standard "Wow, that was cool..." rewards.
So, the more often you see yourself giving out these kinds of rewards, the weaker you want them to be. If its a one time "Your character might get one of these his entire career" kind of rewards, then more powerful things would be appropriate.
I would recommend not giving out feats or spell like abilities, since that is implied through training, what he did was amiable, but not self improving in a way that a random feat would appear. besideds your players might start expecting reward feats if you do that.
just my two cp
Wow, sounds like you've got a leader there.
Give him followers, even if he doesn't have the leadership feat.
This might include a young but enthusiastic warrior looking to be a squire of some descriptor, or maybe an expert playing standard bearer for him.
Or perhaps Some intelligent (but weak - think CR 1/2 at most) monster race that sees his selfless deed and decides to follow him.
I think this guy will make a good leader.
Second that!
Man I wish my players would do stuff like that...