I was wondering is I should even let the players know that there is a 'Trust Point System' or should I just keep a secret tally and never mention it.
I'm making a list of naughty and nice like Santa!
Creative Director
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I was wondering is I should even let the players know that there is a 'Trust Point System' or should I just keep a secret tally and never mention it.
I'm making a list of naughty and nice like Santa!
My take: the PCs should know about these types of point systems, because that's how they know they're accomplishing things. It's fun for players to see their scores go up, and seeing them go down when one of the players in the group is an idiot and doesn't care about hurting locals helps roleplaying AND helps the PCs to police themselves better.
I kinda like this as a tool, given the differences between what my group typically likes to play (monstrous & typically ethically challenged alignments are popular amongst many of my players - one is already planning on a Death Mage), vs. how they ACTUALLY like to play (heroically). So a system tracking how this rag-tag band of questionable anti-heroes come to win the hearts and minds of a public that would on any other given day tar-and-feather them is eminently useful.
I was wondering is I should even let the players know that there is a 'Trust Point System' or should I just keep a secret tally and never mention it.
I'm making a list of naughty and nice like Santa!
I asked this question in the other thread on Trust, here. People resoundingly said to hide it from PCs.
I think I might let on to players that I'm "keeping track" of it and try to express it purely through role playing mechanisms the increase/decrease in their Trust.
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Creative Director
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I was wondering is I should even let the players know that there is a 'Trust Point System' or should I just keep a secret tally and never mention it.
I'm making a list of naughty and nice like Santa!
I asked this question in the other thread on Trust, here. People resoundingly said to hide it from PCs.
I think I might let on to players that I'm "keeping track" of it and try to express it purely through role playing mechanisms the increase/decrease in their Trust.
Might just be me... but the concept of the GM hiding a "Trust" mechanic and point totals from the PCs seems ironic. :-P
Might just be me... but the concept of the GM hiding a "Trust" mechanic and point totals from the PCs seems ironic. :-PI was wondering is I should even let the players know that there is a 'Trust Point System' or should I just keep a secret tally and never mention it.
I'm making a list of naughty and nice like Santa!
I asked this question in the other thread on Trust, here. People resoundingly said to hide it from PCs.
I think I might let on to players that I'm "keeping track" of it and try to express it purely through role playing mechanisms the increase/decrease in their Trust.
I think it depends on the group. I want the PC's to act naturally, but at the same time know their actions can get the community to accept them. I don't want them going out of their way to gain trust points the same way some players try to metagame to get more XP. I don't currently have this issue, but I have had players in the past that would do so. As a player I would want it to remain behind the scenes also, but that is just me. I would not metagame, but the GM asking me do I want to do anything to help the town would be a good idea.
Speaking from experience in the CotCT AP: History of Ashes, the respect points gave the players an extra sense of purpose and would let them know that progress was being made. The would woot when I told them they had achieved some new points.
I think that in CC : Haunting of Harrowstone issue, the simple fact that people wont overcharge you and even bother to speak to you once you have earned respect is an incentive for the characters to do more than just bully people around. So I intend to do the same thing with this adventure.
Personally, if I were to use such a system, I would probably let them know about it, but only share the basics of it and where they currently stood in general terms, letting them figure out for themselves precisely how to properly manage it. That way, they still have to do some footwork of their own, but at least they know what the end goal is.
Rather than explain what they are or how they work, I've simply added it to the collection of things on the wipe-board (usually reserved for Initiative, smack-talk & the occasional sketch). Just noted on the bottom the words "Trust Tally" and add or subtract as needed as the game progressed. The players got the idea real quick that this was something they needed to keep in mind, without letting it otherwise hinder the flow of play.
Thanks for the help everything. I think in the end I will not outright tell the players what the system is. But I will hint at it and that their actions are having a pronounced effect on the towns people. I'm sure after a little while they will get the picture without me spelling it all out.