Hi,
I just wanted to ask a question.. In the Goblin Feud, with the king and so on, do the PCs get the treasure if they solve everything peacefully? I figured they only get it if they fight the goblins... Just wondering.
Thanks
They killed everything in that room.. No longer relevant, thanks.. hahaha
Awesome.
For the record, if they resolved the encounter in a satisfying way and it makes sense in some way for them to get a reward, I'd find a way to give them the treasure, whether they resorted to combat or not.
For instance, suppose the players really got in character, and negotiated a peace deal with the Goblins, rolled their skill rolls well, and resolved the conflict peacefully without resorting to bloodshed. I'd either have the Goblin King give them a reward for resolving the feud before it turned into a bloody civil war, or have the Goblin King instead promise to repay the party with an appropriate favor later (let the PCs choose loot or favor).
I think it's important to encourage the players to look at their character sheets, and find ways to use the other resources at their disposal (besides the obvious combat stats) in a creative way, and rewarding the players for finding non-combat solutions is one way of doing that.
After all, if they left a group of Goblins alive which owe the party a favor later on, or who can otherwise turn back up again in a friendly or villainous role that can give the game continuity and give the players a sense that their actions do matter and have long-term consequences good and bad, then that's a good thing: they made your job as a storyteller easier and more fun, and that's something you want to reward!