Roleplaying Ideas E-newsletter #1225

Amp Up Participant Engagement With These Rewards

Searching for alternative ways to reward gamers and their characters? Gold and gems are nice, however you may’t dance to them.

One of the best rewards have interaction characters and gamers, hold the Infinite Recreation going by way of story development, open up selections and motion prospects, and create memorable sport moments.

Right here’s a listing of concepts of non-monetary boons you would possibly bequeath the social gathering. Due to Grasp of the 5 Room Dungeon Workshop GMs Kodia Tomekeeper, CaptainCrouton89, and Exile In Paradise for supplying plenty of this checklist!

I’ve divided the checklist into 10 classes:

1. Expertise Factors
2. Magical Objects
3. Titles and Honors
4. Property and Belongings
5. Info and Information
6. Favor or Debt Rewards
7. Allies and Contacts
8. Distinctive Skills or Powers
9. Plot Factors & Story Development
10. Gameplay
11. Social Rewards

Expertise Factors

I provide these options as potential methods to boost a gold-for-XP or kill-for-XP system to encourage plot development and storytelling.

d12 Various Expertise Level Award Concepts

1. Finishing a private quest.
2. Reaching a gaggle objective.
3. Forging a peace treaty between warring factions.
4. Discovering an necessary location or secret.
5. Overcoming a very tough problem.
6. Displaying alignment or character progress.
7. Defusing a harmful scenario with out violence.
8. Fixing a posh puzzle or riddle.
9. Bonus expertise for attaining a heroic act.
10. Performing an act of braveness, risk-taking, or self-sacrifice.
11. Deceiving or tricking a strong enemy by wit and intelligence.
12. Overcoming a concern or problem.

Magical Objects

Okay, it is a no-brainer for fantasy video games. Substitute tech for different genres. However for bonus GM XP, tie these rewards to character backstories, plot factors, or character sheet options.

d12 Magical Merchandise Reward Concepts With Character Tie-Ins

1. Ancestral Sword. A blade that has been handed down by the character’s household. It glows within the presence of a selected kind of enemy that has a feud with the character’s lineage.
2. Damaged Amulet. A household heirloom damaged by a tragic occasion. As soon as repaired, it gives safety from the kind of hazard that induced the tragedy.
3. Historical Tome. A guide left by the character’s mentor who vanished below mysterious circumstances. It may be used to solid a singular spell as soon as a day that ties again to the mentor’s teachings.
4. Draconic Scale Defend. Crafted from the scales of the dragon who destroyed the character’s dwelling village. Gives further safety towards dragon breath assaults and likewise tells the character the place the dragon is when wielded.
5. Bard’s Previous Violin. An instrument inherited from the character’s music trainer. When performed, it could possibly allure listeners or encourage allies, reflecting their mentor’s expertise. When secret songs are found and performed, it reveals clues ala R2D2 and Princess Leia’s hidden plea for assist.
6. Haunted Ring. A hoop possessed by the spirit of the character’s lifeless sibling. It gives recommendation or warnings at essential moments, however generally it might have its personal agenda.
7. Celestial Compass. A present from the character’s deity or celestial information. It factors the best way in direction of the subsequent step on their divine quest.
8. Nature’s Seed. A seed from the PC’s dwelling forest. When planted and correctly cared for, it rapidly grows right into a magical tree with numerous useful properties plus empathic warnings when one thing threatens the forest.
9. Cursed Dagger. A dagger a personality or somebody near the PC used to betray somebody necessary. It does further harm when used from the shadows, however would possibly appeal to undesirable consideration from vengeful spirits.
10. Dwarven Hammer. A magic hammer that will increase crafting skills, permitting a personality to make masterwork or magical objects.
11. Historical Map. A magical map inherited from a personality’s explorer guardian that reveals the places of lairs, ruins, and undiscovered places. The map may also be attuned to at least one rival at a time revealing their present progress.
12. Enchanted Quill. A present from a personality’s tutor, this quill by no means runs out of ink and will help clear up riddles and translate historical languages. It may also be used like a Ouija Board to disclose a prophecy or riddles involving the character.

Titles and Honors

Characters get acknowledged for his or her deeds and are given titles or honors that improve their fame. Leverage these for brand new storylines, faction play, and particular sources.

d12 Instance Title and Honor Rewards

1. Getting added to a Wall of Fame.
2. Incomes an honorary diploma in a prestigious academy.
3. Public proclamation of the character’s or social gathering’s deeds.
4. Turning into an honorary member of a tribe.
5. Having a parade held of their honour.
6. Being named the official adventurers of a metropolis or area.
7. Turning into a guild grasp or high-ranking member of a company.
8. Incomes a particular title from a deity, celestial being, or distinctive creature.
9. Gaining the honorary title of a city’s protector.
10. Being acknowledged as a hero in a prophecy.
11. Incomes a seat on a council or ruling physique.
12. Receiving a noble title together with the rights and duties that include it.

Property and Belongings

Proudly owning one thing like a pet or mount, land, a home, a store, a ship, or perhaps a fort anchors characters to your setting. Such possession provides gamers a way of place, belonging, and perhaps even a sense of dwelling.

d12 Instance Property & Asset Rewards

1. A plot of land the place the social gathering can construct a base of operations.
2. An outdated fort that wants renovating.
3. A small enterprise reminiscent of a tavern, store, or farm.
4. A conquered pirate ship.
5. A particular mount, reminiscent of a griffon, big elk, or purple worm.
6. A magical tree that grows fruit with therapeutic or different particular properties.
7. A mine with mineral sources.
8. A pet or aware of particular skills.
9. A recipe or blueprint for making one thing particular.
10. A cleansed dungeon they’ll restock as they see match.
11. A portal key to a special aircraft or particular location.
12. A hideout or protected home in every main metropolis within the area.

Info and Information

Whether or not it’s the situation of a secret treasure, the weak level of a strong enemy, the reality behind a thriller, or superior coaching in a sure talent, gamers thrive on clues and leads.

d12 Instance Info and Information Rewards

1. A mentor or particular coaching.
2. The placement of a long-lost metropolis.
3. The true id of a strong determine.
4. The weak spot of a terrifying monster.
5. A secret recipe for a strong potion (hey Asterix).
6. The horrible secret of a faction chief.
7. The true identify of a demon, which provides some management over it.
8. A prophecy that issues the social gathering.
9. The reveal of a celebration member’s lineage or heritage.
10. The tactic to forge a legendary weapon.
11. Information of an impending catastrophe.
12. The key to breaking a strong curse.

Favor or Debt Rewards

Money owed owed to or by the PCs add one other attention-grabbing gameplay dimension. A mortgage shark guild would possibly reward characters with mortgage qualification so gamers can get extra tools, increase a lifeless social gathering member, or pay for hirelings to wash out the dungeon. “This place higher quit good loot or Wormy’s gonna TPK us!”

Likewise, a favour-based system provides gamers cool selections on when and tips on how to name in favours owed to them.

d12 Instance Favor or Debt Rewards

1. The precise of first refusal for one thing.
2. A favor from a strong spellcaster.
3. A favor owed by a high-ranking metropolis official.
4. A debt owed by a noble who can present sources or troopers.
5. A favor from a celestial being or deity.
6. A debt owed by a neighborhood thieves’ guild.
7. A favor from a community of spies or informants.
8. A favor from a service provider or buying and selling firm.
9. A debt owed by a strong creature from one other aircraft.
10. A favor from an oracle or highly effective diviner.
11. A debt from a gaggle of expert artisans or crafters.
12. A favor from the spirit of nature or fey creature.

Considered one of my favorite NPCs was a satan who would lend folks cash or do them favours in trade for a Faustian Cut price. The PCs adventured to get their souls again!

Allies and Contacts

Provide alternatives to make contacts and alliances with helpful and highly effective NPCs. These allies can present help, info, or sources sooner or later.

d12 Examples of Allies and Contacts Rewards

1. Friendship with a strong wizard.
2. An alliance with a noble household.
3. Turning into trusted members of a thieves’ guild.
4. Gaining a mentor in a martial arts or monastic order.
5. Forming a pact with a celestial being.
6. Profitable the favor of a strong monster.
7. An ally within the royal court docket.
8. A contact in a community of smugglers.
9. A pal in a distant and unique land.
10. A trusted contact within the metropolis guard or navy.
11. A robust spirit or entity as an ally in one other aircraft.
12. Friendship with a gaggle of nomadic merchants.

Distinctive Skills or Powers

These might be particular skills exterior the usual guidelines, reminiscent of a customized spell, a singular fight transfer, a particular reference to a kind of creature, or different supernatural powers.

d12 Distinctive Means or Energy Rewards Concepts

1. The flexibility to talk with animals.
2. A once-per-day teleportation skill.
3. The facility to vary one’s look at will.
4. A robust however unpredictable wild magic surge.
5. The flexibility to breathe underwater.
6. An additional assault or motion in fight.
7. A reference to a kind of creature, making them friendlier.
8. The flexibility to solid a spell not normally accessible.
9. The facility to see in absolute or magical darkness.
10. Resistance to a sure kind of harm.
11. Everlasting enhance to one of many character’s skill scores.
12. The flexibility to fly for brief durations of time.

Plot Factors & Story Development

Advancing a personality’s private story, resolving a backstory battle or loop, revealing new private hooks into the general marketing campaign arc, or being instrumental inside the social gathering for profitable a marketing campaign milestone provide satisfying and memorable participant rewards.

d12 Plot & Story Reward Examples

1. Resolving a personality’s long-standing private quest.
2. Uncovering the true villain behind a collection of occasions.
3. Reaching a serious victory towards an enemy faction.
4. Forming a long-lasting peace between warring factions.
5. Stopping an imminent catastrophe and saving a metropolis or area.
6. Discovering a misplaced civilization or historical know-how.
7. Awakening a latent energy.
8. Fulfilling a prophecy or divine imaginative and prescient.
9. Avenging a previous mistaken or tragedy.
10. Assembly a long-lost relative or uncovering a hidden lineage.
11. Ascending to a better aircraft of existence.
12. Turning into legends within the realm, their tales instructed for generations.

Gameplay

Gamers get immense satisfaction once they can affect the story and setting. If we will help gamers really feel like their selections and characters’ actions matter, they are going to get a deep sense of achievement and engagement together with your marketing campaign.

d12 Gameplay Reward Concepts

1. A participant’s thought is put into motion.
2. Character improvement by way of NPC relationships, world occasions, or new alternatives.
3. Affect over a area by way of modifications to its politics and tradition.
4. Recognition of heroic deeds by way of NPCs recognizing and thanking them.
5. Plot modifications by way of participant concepts, choices, or actions.
6. Including to the lore of the world, maybe by establishing their very own household’s backstory as part of the bigger historical past.
7. Discovery of hidden truths in regards to the world, its historical past, and its inhabitants that change NPC perceptions.
8. Fixing riddles and puzzles.
9. Fulfilling a prophecy (think about making a number of small prophecies as a substitute of a single, campaign-ending one).
10. Constructing a fame that precedes the characters wherever they go primarily based on penalties of character choices and actions.
11. Constructing a fame that precedes the characters wherever they go.
12. A personality’s legacy, sung by bards and rendered by artists.

Social Rewards

Gamers get immense satisfaction once they can affect the story and setting. If we will help gamers really feel like their selections and characters’ actions matter, they are going to get a deep sense of achievement and engagement together with your marketing campaign.

d12 Social Reward Concepts

1. A participant’s thought is put into motion.
2. Character improvement by way of NPC relationships, world occasions, or new alternatives.
3. Affect over a area by way of modifications to its politics and tradition.
4. Recognition of heroic deeds by way of NPCs recognizing and thanking them.
5. Plot modifications by way of participant concepts, choices, or actions.
6. Including to the lore of the world, maybe by establishing their very own household’s backstory as part of the bigger historical past.
7. Discovery of hidden truths in regards to the world, its historical past, and its inhabitants that change NPC perceptions.
8. Fixing riddles and puzzles.
9. Fulfilling a prophecy (think about making a number of small prophecies as a substitute of a single, campaign-ending one).
10. Constructing a fame that precedes the characters wherever they go primarily based on penalties of character choices and actions.
11. Constructing a fame that precedes the characters wherever they go.
12. A personality’s legacy, sung by bards and rendered by artists.

It’s Your Flip

We’ve explored ten broad classes and over 100 methods to reward gamers and their characters past conventional gold items. We would like rewards to have interaction gamers and their characters. We additionally wish to hold the story alive, provide attention-grabbing selections and actions, and create memorable moments.

Most of those reward concepts gained’t have an effect on sport stability in any respect. Quite the opposite, these “treasures” will open up new quests, side-plots, and adventures for you!