Quest rewards seem a bit too weak to be of value

[Mok]

I'm prepping for a game I'll be running tomorrow and well, buyer beware is the lesson I just learned.

I figured I'd do the new Quest that is offered for through Kobold Quarterly. I ought to have downloaded the cert ahead of time, but I bought the magazine first and now I'm regretting that. Unfortunately the reward for completing the quest is just too weak and I can't in good conscience hand that cert to players, particularly since some of the people drive from a long ways away.

I know, I know... it's intended as a short little thing to do when you have some downtime. It's not very risky... You can play it over and over again... I can see all the counter arguments already.

I guess the feedback I want to give is that I like the idea of the Quest system, but any reward that comes of it ought to be a permanent bonus of some kind. I'd be fine with those boons if the last sentence of each boon, "When you have used this boon, cross it off the Chronicle" was not there.

Now I have to go find something else to prep...

[hogarth]

YMMV, I guess. I thought it was harmless fun when I played it, and if the quest reward is essentially useless, so what? I don't think any of the players in our game used any expendables, and I got a chance to play with my character for an extra two hours.

It's not like we could have played a "real" PFS scenario in that abbreviated time slot, so I'm a bit confused by the "find something else to prep" comment.

[Mok]

hogarth wrote:

It's not like we could have played a "real" PFS scenario in that abbreviated time slot, so I'm a bit confused by the "find something else to prep" comment.

I was going to do that instead of a regular session, just to see what the whole Quest experience is like. We have multiple tables and lots of busy folks so I know that there would be enough people that would say, "Early evening? Sounds good!" but not for such a weak reward.

[hogarth]

Oh, I certainly agree that the quest is a very poor substitute for a regular PFS module. But it certainly has a niche.

Two weeks ago, Neil Shackleton ran a brief info session for PFS newbies in Toronto and followed it up with running the quest using mostly pregenerated characters. I thought it worked pretty well as a quick introduction.

[cblome59]

The Quest was never meant to replace a mod. If you have time to run a mod you should always run a mod.

If you have only a few hours, you run a Quest.

[Thod]

I think where the Quest is useful is a drop-by option at a CON.

A player who wants to shop for half a slot, someone new to PFS, playing with younger kids who dont have a four hour attention span, etc. Yes - it certainly is not a replacement for a full scenario.

Thod

[Cole Cummings]

I'd say a single one time use item would be a suitable reward.

it would be an oportunity to introduce more scrolls of "X" into the game. I know my Wizard is always searching for scrolls. There just arn't alot floating around.

Or maybe a single potion of "X" useable once then "mark it off your chronicle sheet"

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

The Quest boons are useless, but that's not the point. The point is when you have a table of seven people who are bored and the next time slot doesn't start for an hour and a half and everyone's already eaten lunch. Then you bust out your weirdest characters and go for broke.

Also, I think I've figured out a suitable "But what if someone dies!" ruling: Since the rewards aren't tiered, you always play up (obviously). Then, if (... when) someone dies, they just don't get the chronicle. Badabing, badaboom. A fun hour.