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I looked in the forum before posting, but if this has been covered already in another thread, my apologies.
Let's suppose you're one of those gaming groups (like myself) who no longer use XP awards as written in Pathfinder, and just level up the characters as appropriate to the challenges in the adventure path, section by section. Now, the rewards for successfully engaging in romances, friendships, and rivalries with various NPCs is straight XP awards.
Can my fellow gamers suggest to me some good alternative awards to XP, since we don't use XP? I thought about gifts of gold or magic items, but I don't really want NPCs pulling that out of thin air, especially NPCs travelling with the PCs in the same freakin' caravan.
Another thought was some sort of temporarily or static bonuses, but I'm unsure what would be an appropriate amount.
My final thought was to institute Pathfinder's Hero Point system from APG, and give them hero points as they succeeded at these.
Any other thoughts, fellow gamers? Thank you in advance for suggestions!
--ENHenry
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I looked in the forum before posting, but if this has been covered already in another thread, my apologies.
Let's suppose you're one of those gaming groups (like myself) who no longer use XP awards as written in Pathfinder, and just level up the characters as appropriate to the challenges in the adventure path, section by section. Now, the rewards for successfully engaging in romances, friendships, and rivalries with various NPCs is straight XP awards.
Can my fellow gamers suggest to me some good alternative awards to XP, since we don't use XP? I thought about gifts of gold or magic items, but I don't really want NPCs pulling that out of thin air, especially NPCs travelling with the PCs in the same freakin' caravan. Another thought was some sort of temporarily or static bonuses, but I'm unsure what would be an appropriate amount.
My final thought was to institute Pathfinder's Hero Point system from APG, and give them hero points as they succeeded at these.
Any other thoughts, fellow gamers? Thank you in advance for suggestions!
--ENHenry
I think Hero Points are your best bet, especially if the ONLY source of hero points in the game is increasing your relationships with your fellow NPCs. It definitely gives PCs a BIG incentive to take an active interest.
Otherwise what about favors? Essentially you can build the NPCs however you like without really effecting the game so give the NPCs ranks in those Craft skills and magic item creation feats the PCs don't have. The PCs will be able to pay full price, 75% and then cost price as their relationship with the NPC increases. It means PCs can go out adventuring while the NPCs hang back and give the PCs cool toys to play with.
Hero points was my first thought as well.
Other possibilities: custom made traits that grant small skill bonuses depending upon NPCs: perk for relationship with Koya could be bonus to Heal checks or divination spells, high Shalelu relationship could boost your Survival, etc.
Depends on how much time and effort you want to put in. If you have limited time, go with the hero points. If you have plenty of time, I'd work out perhaps a few different levels of boons for each NPC and award them at each level of devotion/enmity.
I'm in the same situation, my group hasn't used xp for ages.
I'm probably going to award my players with Hero points or maybe small boosts in specific skills.
Ex: Friend of Ameiko (trait): +1 on all Diplomacy checks when Ameiko is around. Or something similar.
We're using Hero points in my CotCT campaign (distributing them by harrowing) and we love it.
If you haven't tried it, I reccommend that you do.
I'm in the same situation, my group hasn't used xp for ages.
I'm probably going to award my players with Hero points or maybe small boosts in specific skills.
Ex: Friend of Ameiko (trait): +1 on all Diplomacy checks when Ameiko is around. Or something similar.We're using Hero points in my CotCT campaign (distributing them by harrowing) and we love it.
If you haven't tried it, I reccommend that you do.
I think my players will all want to keep track of XP rather than leveling up at a regular interval, or just as appropriate to the AP, but it's a personal pet peeve of mine to see players at different XP levels, so I think I'll be going with Hero Points too. I tend to like it when other games offer a similar mechanic and I've wanted to use them since the APG came out, but I haven't had the chance yet.
The one thing I'm wondering about is if the relationship XP awards are a part of the assumed XP curve of the adventure. I think I'll be fine running things, but I'd hate to lowball my players some XP because I didn't have a good eye for things. Do you guys think the relationship XP is a big part of the XP curve? What do you think would be the best way to balance it out, if so?
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I'm in the same situation, my group hasn't used xp for ages.
I'm probably going to award my players with Hero points or maybe small boosts in specific skills.
Ex: Friend of Ameiko (trait): +1 on all Diplomacy checks when Ameiko is around. Or something similar.We're using Hero points in my CotCT campaign (distributing them by harrowing) and we love it.
If you haven't tried it, I reccommend that you do.I think my players will all want to keep track of XP rather than leveling up at a regular interval, or just as appropriate to the AP, but it's a personal pet peeve of mine to see players at different XP levels, so I think I'll be going with Hero Points too. I tend to like it when other games offer a similar mechanic and I've wanted to use them since the APG came out, but I haven't had the chance yet.
The one thing I'm wondering about is if the relationship XP awards are a part of the assumed XP curve of the adventure. I think I'll be fine running things, but I'd hate to lowball my players some XP because I didn't have a good eye for things. Do you guys think the relationship XP is a big part of the XP curve? What do you think would be the best way to balance it out, if so?
I haven't done the math, but even if it is if your players haven't hit the recommended level for the various encounters throwing in some extra random encounters during the caravan sections is the most non-intrusive way to boost exp.