We use action points and they are the usual reward for good roleplaying.
Aside from awarding hero points from the APG, I tend to award xp for good roleplaying and problem solving. Up the xp for an especially good cirmcumstance.
Aside from awarding hero points from the APG, I tend to award xp for good roleplaying and problem solving. Up the xp for an especially good cirmcumstance.
+1
Xp is a good way to go.Oracle=Additional Spell Known
Sorcerer=Additional Spell Known
Fighter=Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword
Rogue=a few skill bumps, just +1 to 2 or 3 skills
I would hesitate to give out an additional spell known to a spontaenous caster while only giving out a cold iron masterwork longsword to the fighter. The spell is a much bigger boon. Perhaps scrolls would be a better way to go for casters if you are going to go with a material item route as a reward, or other minor, likely expendable, items. Assuming this is fairly low levels since you are talking a masterwork sword and not a magical one, the extra spell known is huge, espeically for a spontaenous caster who usually only has a couple. As for the rogue, instead of giving a flat bonus, perhaps a free trait that ups some skills, or again, a meterial item to keep everything fair. A good choice might be a few sets of masterwork tools for a couple of different skills (cloak or boots for a +2 to stealth, or perhaps something with linguistics or disguise as gypsies, maybe even a minorly enchanted pendent to give a small bonus to diplomacy or bluff).
Its always cool to give out something extra to encourage good roleplaying, just make sure the reward fits the extent of the roleplaying and that all players are getting a fair deal so it doesn't feel like anyone is getting favored/disfavored based on class choice.
Extra spells known is a huge reward. Especially when compared to a cold iron weapon or some skill points.
Just give them some xp.
I like giving out rewards for roleplaying, and I like giving out non-XP rewards like bonus traits, bonus feats, custom items or spells, etc.
Oracle=Additional Spell Known
Sorcerer=Additional Spell Known
Fighter=Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword
Rogue=a few skill bumps, just +1 to 2 or 3 skills
"Additional Spell Known" is essentially a free feat ("Expanded Arcana" from the APG pg 159) and it's a huge benefit compared to an item worth 630 gold or a couple skill points.
My suggestion is this.
Give each character a free trait of your choosing or give each character a free feat of your choosing. (Try to make the traits or feats roughly equal in power level to one another.)
In addition, give each character an item. If you've been skimping on treasure, then this is a good time to catch up.
I'm a personal fan of RP rewards for RP skill.
But, for that specific list, I agree that there's some power disparity.
I'm a personal fan of RP rewards for RP skill.
But, for that specific list, I agree that there's some power disparity.
I will agree to this and the XP rewards mentioned earlier in this thread. In our group XP is awarded at the beginning of the next session so we take notes of things we did that were good RP moments (in group or with NPC's) crafty solutions to problems etc. These are then taken into consideration for XP rewards.
We actually use a variant of hero points and the players can reward one to another player for something "exceptional" done in game. But our pool is fewer than the number of PC's and the GM can increase the pool to draw from for interactions & creative actions involving more than an individual character. Nothing like getting a pool hero point for the 2 "non-face" characters diplomatically acquiring information from a drunk noble at party, while the "Face" is seducing the drunks "handler"
If your players are very diplomatic with the gypsies, they might be able to buy items at a discount, get hints on their quest, be healed for free, etc.
Roleplaying is its own reward. The GMG has rules for rewards NPCs might grant player characters, but it's quite possible that the gypsies might end up hating the characters because of their roleplaying, so it's more a bonus for befriending and helping people than for good roleplaying.
I agree with these. I do RP rewards on two levels: metagame and in-game.
First, I always award XP for good RP, usually as like a percentage of the session total tacked on, regardless of the outcome -- in other words, the players may totally blow a Diplomacy check and irritate the gypsies and have it all go pear-shaped, but if it's good, fun, enjoyable, immersive RP, then the outcome in terms of how it helps the PC's quest is beside the point. It was good RP that everyone was into, so they get XP. That's the metagame reward they get no matter what, only the quantity is adjustable.
In-game, however, any rewards they get are totally dependent on the outcome of the RP. I also try to be brutally realistic with what NPCs might have on them and what they would be willing to part with for various services the PCs might render. For example: PC fighters give the gypsies fighting tips, PC bard teaches them a song/dance, PC Cleric heals a sick elder, all these things I would imagine a gypsy tribe would hold in high regard. If all they do is talk around the fire, then even if the PCs are likable, the level of in-game reward will be much, much lower, or non-existent.
It sounds like your players are already inured to a low-magic world, so I would think realistic rewards wouldn't faze them.
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Mmm... just from your general comments, you seem to give out fairly hefty rewards beyond what's been statted for balance. So just as a side note, keep track of how easily your party is defeating challenges. You might need to up the difficulty without upping the xp reward, or you could set yourself into a painful power curve :D
As far as the Purple Knights go, my question would be what is he doing for the Purple Knights specifically that made them want him as a member?
As I recall, they have very stringent entry requirements. The player should fulfill all the fluff roleplaying of honor and loyalty and what-have-you. Also, seeing as how they're a King-oriented group, I find it more likely that only decorated knights would have direct access to the King.
It seems to me that if the fighter is part of the organization, which is fine btw, without actually taking levels in the prestiege class, then he would have responsibilities to the organization even without the benefits of the class.
I could easily see this leading his superior officer to sending him out to this group or that. The big thing here is that most highly organized, ritualized groups tend to really hate people jumping in over his head. A lot of members could resent him for immediately having access to the king, while they had struggled for x years just to be recognized by the king once. While they wouldn't act dishonorably, they still have a lot of leeway for making things uncomfortable for him.
And all that being said... rule zero. Only you can know for sure whether a particular concept fits your game world. :)
Last thought: Game elements that affect a characters statistics without gp values tend to make poor rewards for a couple reasons. First, they're hard to remember. Did he get +1 to this skill or that skill? Or was that from it being a class skill? It's easy to forget and erase an old reward as an addition error.
Second, they're hard to balance. Sure, the players might appreciate them equally, but that extra spell is additional combat utility while the skill probably isn't. The sword might be now, but in the future if a weapon costs 120k to get to +10 enhancement, that sword then becomes worth 24,000 gold over the course of the game since that's how much he's saving. Is an extra spell or skill points worth 24k? A +1 to a skill magic item that doesn't take up an item slot is worth 200g.
The extra spell slot is comparable to a ring of spell storing that scales with the caster's level. 5th level, 18k g. 9th lvl 50k. More past that.
Third, stacking tendencies: Do you tend to give the rogue more skill stuff? Does the fighter get more combat stuff? The caster more spells? It widens the distance between the performance of the classes. The rogue falls further behind in damage, and the caster moves farther ahead. Just something to watch for, and to try to balance out.