I've just come up with an idea for enhancing the Rise of the Runelords AP once I get started (waiting until my paper copy of vol. 2) Its basically intended to get our group to celebrate our D&D game online in some fashion. My brother and I have always had some sort of incentive for deeper levels of play. He uses a "Heroes Mark" in his current Savage Tide AP that he runs, where players can choose to increase the difficulty of key battles or challenges in the game to attempt to get a neat special ability, usually less useful than a feat and always at random. Originally I found the following ideas in a Silver Age Sentinels book and I wanted to adapt them to the players in my game by allowing for various levels of creativity. My idea involves the players earning their points in the following ways (this is the sheet I will give to them, unless someone has a suggestion):
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Player Rewards Points:
The purpose of this system is to allow the players to earn extra rewards for being involved
on multiple levels of game play, allowing us to create a true multimedia experience where
we can all have memorable sessions and express our creativity in our own unique ways. As
always, I am open to suggestion on any material here, but please be aware that I am very
much set on this concept as a whole.
For each session in which a player is in attendance and has performed their given task,
they will earn a PRP at the discretion of the DM (noted in the minutes). One will be issued
as a maximum per session. Rewards may be purchased at any given "Level-Up" after level 5 (CL).
These are several of the following ways in which they may be earned:
*Journal Entry (In character or narrative)
*Minutes Logging (out of character concerns)
*Webpage Updating (Myspace/Google Group, etc.)
**Written Backstory (I'm not picky, but put some time into it)
Photography (Players, miniatures, funny stuff that is appropriate)
Audio Design (In game battle music, town music, creation of a music CD)
Character Development (Artistic creations; aka Char. Bios, Pictures, or applicable media)
Buying Snacks for the group (should not be one person's permanent task, possibly rotating)
Players are to decide amongst themselves how these positions will be divided up.
Those with a * are designated as mandatory each session. The back story (**) is mandatory for
every player and will earn them their first point of the campaign. Any of these may be rotated
if the players desire / are unavailable / feel the need for a break / would like to try them.
Any changes should be noted in the minutes where able. If someone comes up with another idea
that they would like to use, I am open to suggestion.
The Rewards will be determined by level 6. The delay is mainly because I wish to get to
know each character's style, powers, weaknesses, and flavor. The Character development will
aid in this as well.
The journal can be written in any style desired but should keep the feel of the campaign in
mind, allowing for good dialogue and character activities. This should be for posterity. This is
nothing new for most of you and I encourage this position to be swapped frequently.
The Minutes will be logged by the Secretary who will mark important rules questions,
experience totals, action point usage, important in-game information when pertinent, attendance, PRPs
earned, and any information deemed important. This can also include the funny out of game comments
that are frequently made by all. The minutes should be read at the beginning of any session.
The Webpage Updating may typically be the most time consuming element, but the most redeeming.
The site should include character info such as a back-story, journal entries (preferably in blog
format), Character/Player photos or imagery, pertinent art, and allow for players to communicate
their ingame/outgame concerns or ideas in an orderly, written fashion. A Login name and password
should be created and then distributed to all players in case of a swap or minor corrections. In
the case of Myspace or similar service, the DM, followed by the players, should occupy the top
friends positions ;). In addition, players are welcome to create "Character Accounts" to log in with
or to post comments on events as they are updated.
Photography is intended to fill a creative and detailed account of the visual events of any
given evening. All photos should be stored in a digital format and given to the current webpage
updater else uploaded to the site manually, arranged as you see fit. These should show our friends
and contacts who we are and what we enjoy doing. This can also be incorporated into Player Bios on
the website additionally.
Audio Design is taking a note from my brother's recent campaign work. As a multimedia campaign, I
would like to have evocative music playing at key points. Whether this is done through an iPod with
a speaker, brought in on flash drives or any other media is unimportant. Players should feel that
the music is deepening the vibe of the session where able. I understand that, as a player, you
cannot predict the action, but with a versatile array of music at your disposal, your task is to
find an appropriate song for the moment. Use of my personal computer or CD players is completely
allowed and will place you at the computer for most gaming sessions. The final task of this position
is to design and produce a Campaign Soundtrack. The level of detail is at the player's discretion, but
sound quality is important and the music should have an important connection to the individual parts
of the campaign. You may seek help from anyone you wish. Notes on this topic can be registered with
the Secretary.
Character Development is the most wide open of the rewards, but will require a lot of effort
creatively. A portrait of a PC/NPC, battle, landscape or the like are all acceptable as well as
sculpture (photographed for the website) or an alternative medium of your choosing. Surprise us,
I'm sure we'll all enjoy it. The one important rule is: IT MUST BE YOUR OWN WORK! Outside sources
who have interest are certainly allowed to display their work, but it should be labeled as so on
the website.
The snack purchasing is mainly to help when someone doesn't feel up to their assigned task for
a session or whom has not had time otherwise in their schedule outside of the session. I understand
that we are all working adults who have other, more lucrative ways to spend our free time. Thus, those
with lucrative means can afford to order a pizza or run out for subs every once and a while. This
is also my least favorite idea on the list and as such, I do not wish to see it abused.
Once the campaign has begun and this system is underway, I will develop a system of rewards based on a
rigid set of guidelines, akin to picking feats, but more personal and more or less potent, depending, but thematically interesting. Higher level
abilities will require more points than the lower ones. I do want your opinions on what you would like
to see on the list, and those requests will be logged either on the website or in the minutes.
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Forgive the lengthiness, I wanted to be thorough. The journal is an idea I had been using for years and it typically came with an XP bonus, but I found that a bit impersonal as time went on. At any rate, comments would be appreciated! Thx!
I like your idea - I've been giving out XP each session for Journal-answerable Trivia questions and such.
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In my Savage Tide campaign which I am running for around 6-7 seasoned gamer's. I have done away with the experience system as it stands. I reward my players for the time that they invest in the game. That is I award minutes of experience to their characters rather than xp. Any time spend either gaming or posting character write-up/journal entries etc. on the website or in character generation etc is logged and attributed to the character.
This came about because we are all at an age were gaming is one of a long list of other distractions (work, kids, online games, kids etc.) vying for our time. What I felt was needed was a way to motivate the group to get involved and so I designed the time-based experience system to reward those who did.
Vashe 21h15m + (w25 + w25 + g3h) = 24h05m xp Level 4 at 30 hours
Rakim 20h15m + (g3h) = 23h15m xp Level 4 at 30 hours
Grim Tom 17h + (g3h) = 20h xp LEVELED to level 3!
Bess Flint 10h45m + 0 = 10h45m xp LEVELED to level 2!
Igneous 6h20m + (g2h30m) = 8h50m xp Level 2 at 10 hours
Prune 3h + (g3h) = 6h Level 2 at 10 hours
Sam 4h + 0 = 4h xp Level 2 at 10 hours
In the above example I awarded Vashe's owner with 2 webites posts of 25 mins and 3 hours of actual gameplay that week.
I do give bonuses for good roleplaying and for moving the plot forward but I find that getting my players around the table and posting online is more important.
Your approach is much more detailed than mine and good luck to you. If the players buy into this Player Contract then I am sure that it lead to a richer roleplaying campaign experience.