Divine Favor System

[OldManAlexi]

Some DMs tend to give out bonus XP to players for things certain things. One side effect of this system is that some PCs will end up higher level than others. If you want to keep the party all at the same level but still want to be able to reward the paladin for soloing the shadow demon while the rest of the party ran away, you need a different reward system. My concept is that these rewards are divine favor that can be traded in for boons. Obviously, you don't have to use my fluff.

Basically, instead of bonus XP, the players would earn points that can be used to buy advantages for their characters. These advantages might include:
Low-Light Vision
Bonus Skill Points
Bonus Feats
Enhancements for equipment
Casting a spell without the material component

In cases in which a character managed to miss out on XP that the rest of the party gained, these points could be used to catch up until the character is at the same level as the rest of the party.

I've considered more impressive rewards but they would cost so many points that either no one would choose them or everyone would just save up their points for one big reward.

So, any opinions on whether such a system would work well?

[Alitan]

I'd recommend, rather than a point system, that each instance of divine favor should be selected immediately, from a list of advantages you feel is appropriate for the heroics involved; no saving up, no bookkeeping.

You can include (x) bonus XP, for that catch-up problem, as a reward.

But I think if you give players the option to save up points, you're going to have the problem of hoarding. And the gods don't like bookkeeping; they smile upon the valor of their favored heroes at once and go back to whatever it is gods do. [Purely opinion/speculation; I haven't talked to any gods lately.]

I do like the basic idea of alternate rewards like this; more valuable than XP, since you can't add from that list in the normal order of things.

[Ciaran Barnes]

We don't track xp any more. The dm just tells us when to level up.

[Ruggs]

Alitan wrote:

I'd recommend, rather than a point system, that each instance of divine favor should be selected immediately, from a list of advantages you feel is appropriate for the heroics involved; no saving up, no bookkeeping.

You can include (x) bonus XP, for that catch-up problem, as a reward.

But I think if you give players the option to save up points, you're going to have the problem of hoarding. And the gods don't like bookkeeping; they smile upon the valor of their favored heroes at once and go back to whatever it is gods do. [Purely opinion/speculation; I haven't talked to any gods lately.]

I do like the basic idea of alternate rewards like this; more valuable than XP, since you can't add from that list in the normal order of things.

To counter this: some players do like getting points. An alternate system like this isn't bad for that reason--the rewards are just going to need to be carefully balanced against one another. That is, spends should be nail-bitingly difficult to choose from, and fall in that realm of "ossum." :3

Keep in mind, not all point-spend rewards need be new abilities, they could be expendables. What if they were, say, a custom, limited MI that allowed a single reroll of a d20?

What if they allowed a reroll of a 1 or 2 on a HP die?

You would need to balance these against other abilities. If your players want them, and "want to collect them all," then you're headed in a good direction.

I'm working on a similar system, myself--just haven't gotten the bugs worked out, yet, and I suspect that even once implemented, it will need adjusted just based on feedback, impact, and conversations.

[Alitan]

Players like a lot of things; you learn to refuse them stuff. :)

I just don't see a point-system with the option to save up as reflecting divine favor, that's all. Do the gods nudge you and let you choose between (x) gift now or the possibility of a greater reward later? I think the relative power of a divine gift should be directly-related to the great deed which attracted the favor of the god(s) in the first place, and the save'n'spend model doesn't seem -- to me -- to fit.

Just a personal bias, and entirely academic; if the accrual of "unspent favors" doesn't bother the GM running the system, who am I to argue?

And there's no reason why one couldn't include expendable favors in the list from which the PC can choose right now. And ossum is as ossum does: you pleased the god(s), you get your reward. I still think immediacy is key to prevent munchkinized kenderfests from happening.

[Adamantine Dragon]

I level up my players as a group. I've never liked using XP to 'reward' players for better play because those are usually the better players and they just steadily drift away from the other players in XP.

I have a series of rewards I provide, ranging from "DM bonuses" that can be applied to a single attack role, or a round of AC or a skill check, etc.

I've considered making actual tokens to hand out but I've been too lazy.

I don't provide any permanent rewards for stuff like that though. And you can't collect the bonuses and apply them all in one battle either. You use them before the end of the next encounter or you lose them.

[Starfell]

Ruggs wrote:

Alitan wrote:

I'd recommend, rather than a point system, that each instance of divine favor should be selected immediately, from a list of advantages you feel is appropriate for the heroics involved; no saving up, no bookkeeping.

You can include (x) bonus XP, for that catch-up problem, as a reward.

But I think if you give players the option to save up points, you're going to have the problem of hoarding. And the gods don't like bookkeeping; they smile upon the valor of their favored heroes at once and go back to whatever it is gods do. [Purely opinion/speculation; I haven't talked to any gods lately.]

I do like the basic idea of alternate rewards like this; more valuable than XP, since you can't add from that list in the normal order of things.

To counter this: some players do like getting points. An alternate system like this isn't bad for that reason--the rewards are just going to need to be carefully balanced against one another. That is, spends should be nail-bitingly difficult to choose from, and fall in that realm of "ossum." :3

Keep in mind, not all point-spend rewards need be new abilities, they could be expendables. What if they were, say, a custom, limited MI that allowed a single reroll of a d20?

What if they allowed a reroll of a 1 or 2 on a HP die?

You would need to balance these against other abilities. If your players want them, and "want to collect them all," then you're headed in a good direction.

I'm working on a similar system, myself--just haven't gotten the bugs worked out, yet, and I suspect that even once implemented, it will need adjusted just based on feedback, impact, and conversations.

In regards to this "Divine Favor" stuff I always picture an hour glass and "sands of fate" being placed in for each favor.

Going along to what is suggested, each deed can stack for a very very special purpose: Deck of many things. There a few possibilities for this, for each deed the deck slowly comes into existence (Deed A = X cards inserted into the deck for instance). Another option would be that the characters, when the time is right, can only draw as many cards as the deeds they've done. Lastly, a mighty heroic deed could allow them to reshuffle or "mulligan" in case of a bad draw. This could involve the card(s) that are detrimental or the whole hand of cards drawn must be reshuffled.

I don't think there is any better way to make the deeds worthwhile than simply having it allow for or effect the results of drawing from the legendary deck of many things!

[Alitan]

@Starfell

Are you INSANE? No offense meant, but every time that... thing... has showed up in a campaign I'm in, I run the other way.

NOT my idea of a reward for pleasing the gods.

[OldManAlexi]

Actually, the Deck of Many Things idea is interesting. I would use a custom deck but I like the idea. After all, the deck can do a lot of nasty things to players and we don't want to penalize anyone for something that is supposed to be a reward. I would probably think up 20 bonuses and roll a d20 to see what they get. Some rewards I was considering were specifically meant for either casters or fighter types so there might need to be a reroll on some of them... or a pick from list type thing. Eh, it's an option to think about.