Putting this in spoiler tags because players read these forums. If you are one of my players, SHAME ON YOU FOR OPENING A SPOILER TAGGED THREAD! LEAVE NAO!
So I've been DMing a group through Wrath of the Righteous and my players are knocking on the gates of Citadel Drezen in Sword of Valor. I've been reading ahead of course, and The Worldwound Incursion indicated that the campaign traits would be resolved in Demon's Heresy, and gave some indication as to how the power of the traits would increase.
Reading through Demon's Heresy has yielded some answers. There is a quest for each trait, but when a character with the associated trait completes the quest the book says they simply complete a Mythic Trial. It does not say the traits power increases or that the players gain any other benefits at all.
So what I would like to know is if the traits are supposed to increase in power upon completion of the quests, or if they will increase in power later in the story, perhaps in City of Locusts or Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth? The books don't seem to make this very clear, and I don't want my players to miss out on the increase in power for their trait if it supposed to come at the completion of their quest, but on the other hand, I don't want to give them the power bump early if it's supposed to happen later in the story.
Perhaps Mr. Jacobs can shed some light on this?
Completing a mythic trial is what allows the players to gain advancement as mythic characters. That is the purpose of saying a mythic trial was completed.
I understand what completing a Mythic Trial does. That was not my question. My question is do the traits increase in power upon completion of those quests given in the book? It does not say so anywhere in the quest, but The Worldwound Incursion indicates that the traits WILL increase in power at some point during the AP.
I just want to make sure that if they are supposed to increase in power when the quest is complete, my players actually gain the benefit, and if they do not increase in power yet, I don't accidentally give them the power bump early.
By the book, the traits are tied to a specific Mythic Path, and when you take the path the trait increase happens.
So if you're going exactly by the book, your players gain the improved trait the moment they take the path associated with their trait.
Hmm, see that doesn't seem very clear to me, but perhaps I am reading it wrong. My players have been playing without the trait increases thus far, and doing relatively well so I think I will give them the bonus when they finish their side quest.
They were listed at the end of book one, so that is when I awarded them. But I do like your idea of saving them until their personal mythic story is resolved.
The way I read it was something along the lines of:
"These campaign traits are associated with a Mythic Path and will get more powerful later. The full details are presented in book 3 but here is an overview of what happens."
To me that meant the power up wouldn't happen until book 3, but as I read more through book 3 it doesn't look like that's the case. It does make sense that they were supposed to be awarded at the end of book 1 but it did not seem clear to me in the least. I'll have to go back and re-read that section of book 1.
The way I read it was something along the lines of:
"These campaign traits are associated with a Mythic Path and will get more powerful later. The full details are presented in book 3 but here is an overview of what happens."
To me that meant the power up wouldn't happen until book 3, but as I read more through book 3 it doesn't look like that's the case. It does make sense that they were supposed to be awarded at the end of book 1 but it did not seem clear to me in the least. I'll have to go back and re-read that section of book 1.
The traits become enhanced when the characters chose the mythic path that goes with it, so i should have happened at the end of "The Worldwound Incursion" by the book.
When a PC becomes mythic, his choice of mythic path can enhance his existing campaign trait (see page 8) if he chooses a path associated with that trait.
Since that didn't happen, I think your idea to enhance them when they complete their associated quest works well.
What happens in book 3 is that the stories behind the traits become more fully revealed; who killed your parents, who found you in the Worldwound and walked you out, etc.
I had a similar question.
I'm going to run WotR non-mythic with some slight powerups at the end of book 1 (and maybe again later depending on how things go).
I was thinking of using the Campaign traits, if just for a bit of extra story. My question is, without the quests completing a Mythic Trial, are the traits and their associated quests worth it/cool?
I was planning to give the non-mythic-point increase at the end of the 1st book also (except maybe the +4 vs SR might get reduced to +2, and the +3hp/lvl might get reduced to toughness -- most of the others are just feat-power-level)