Don't Look a Gift Horse: Giving Your Players Non Experience Point Rewards

[Apupunchau]

Because I don’t use XP in games like Pathfinder and D&D I am often asked how I reward my players. There are dozens of ways to make the characters feel accomplished that does not included handing out XP or Gold like they’re candy. Here. are some of the ways I try to incentivize my payers for moving the story forward and good role playing.

Do you hand out non XP (and non-gold) awards? If so what kinds of things do you give out?

[GM 1990]

For recent Maple-Fest competitions the top-3 received gold/silver/bronze maple-leaf medals. Status symbol around that particular town, but pretty worthless anywhere else. More a RP and PC development tool.

Reputation. I've had the inn where they were staying overflowing for a few nights to meet them and hear how they'd defeated a local goblin group plaguing the coastal road.

Connections. As result of turning in some government stamped platinum bars (used for inter governmental payments) they've made a name for themselves with some government and law-enforcement leadership as trust-worthy and people who can be counted on. Friends/contacts in higher places can be worth way more than gold.

Unique or useful mundane magic that has no obvious combat utility. Tie this to character back-story or profession skills. IE: Non-stick and never-burn cookware that heats w/o a fire.

Property. eventually the group may want to have a stable location to operate from, and getting land or a building as "reward" can drive them in that direction.

[Dark Die High]

Exalted was a game that did a great job of finding ways to reward characters outside of XP. The game had a feature called Backgrounds. During character generation, you could buy allies, contacts, magic items, places of power, money, mentors, influence, or creatures.

This made a great list of things that can be given out as treasure.

Another thing I've used in the past is titles, monikers, and family relics.

Titles or positions of authority are great treasure. Being knighted, getting more land, or getting a position in a powerful organization are good ways to reward players.

Monikers, I've passed out like magic items or free feats. You get the moniker "the Lightning Hand" you might get the quick draw feat for free or you might get the moniker "the Hundred Orc Slayer" and then you would get Bane vs. orcs as a character. If it's something big like that I figure out what the cost of that as a magic item would be and subtract that from their WBL.

Relics, I work just like magic items only they aren't magic. The saddle of the knight who had never been unhorsed might provide a +2 luck bonus on ride checks. You make them just like magic items and count them against their WBL, but they aren't magic so it allows you to pass out treasure without littering the gameworld with magic items.

Figuring out what a reward would cost in gold if it were a magic item and then making it part of their wealth by level is a great way to make sure everyone is getting even rewards and that you aren't making the characters too powerful by giving them things.

Bending the rules a little is another one I've used. In a 2nd edition game, I let a character throw 6 magic missiles. Another 1d4+1 didn't break the game, but the player got to enjoy having something unique about his character.

I think little unique things like these, players enjoy more than just money or XP. Although everyone likes levels ;)

[Apupunchau]

Geat stuff guys. I touch on a bunch of those in the article I did mis out on reputation though that's a good one which is sad because I am using he reuptation rules in my Shattered Star game. I also didn't touch on Monikers and titles another great addition to the things to hand out to players fie.

And yes little unique things make all the difference to the players.

[Galnörag]

In Carrion Crown we used the Hero Point mechanic, in addition to other hero point generating events (like levelling). Strong player contributions to the game (roleplaying, risk taking, etc) would be ad-hoc rewarded with little skulls. Players who accumulated 4 skulls could exchange them for an extra hero point, or individual skulls could be used for an untyped +1 on a d20 roll.

[Meraki]

Extra traits can be good minor bonuses to hand out. In some of the games I've been in, we've combined that with the relationship rules. When you get to know an NPC well enough, you get a bonus trait that's fitting for them (as they teach you something, etc.).

[Apupunchau]

Interesting concepts both. I try and steer clear of mechanical award, although I couldn't rightly tell you why. But since its not just bout me, good things to add to the list for people who are interested.

On a side note I have yet to use hero points at all. Again I don't know why I just haven't.

[Harley Quinn X]

I'm running a group through an adventure path and at every level I give out up two little cards with a quill on it that give players a direct way to influence the story or characters. At every level players have a little election to give one quill to who they thought deserved a quill, for whatever reason. If there aren't a ton of quills floating out there, I choose one of the remaining players for whatever reason I choose. Example, while level 1 the barbarian started a great in-joke that the party still uses to this day (three years later, and currently level 12) and got himself one of the first quills.

Players can cash in their quill to ask if small details can change. As example, the half-orc barbarian wanted to marry into nobility to claim a title. She's a human, and he's a half-orc that hates humans because humans are so prejudiced against half-orcs. The NPC as written would have been very okay with it, because she got to keep a title (her husband died). So the barbarian traded in his quill to make the noblewoman unhappy with this marriage. And now they're both unhappily married in-character, but it gives more plot points that are in the player control.

It's helped reward people that the party felt carried their weight or added to the fun, and it's helped me draw some players out of their shells and into the game a bit more.

[Apupunchau]

Harley Quinn X wrote:

I'm running a group through an adventure path and at every level I give out up two little cards with a quill on it that give players a direct way to influence the story or characters. At every level players have a little election to give one quill to who they thought deserved a quill, for whatever reason. If there aren't a ton of quills floating out there, I choose one of the remaining players for whatever reason I choose. Example, while level 1 the barbarian started a great in-joke that the party still uses to this day (three years later, and currently level 12) and got himself one of the first quills.

Players can cash in their quill to ask if small details can change. As example, the half-orc barbarian wanted to marry into nobility to claim a title. She's a human, and he's a half-orc that hates humans because humans are so prejudiced against half-orcs. The NPC as written would have been very okay with it, because she got to keep a title (her husband died). So the barbarian traded in his quill to make the noblewoman unhappy with this marriage. And now they're both unhappily married in-character, but it gives more plot points that are in the player control.

It's helped reward people that the party felt carried their weight or added to the fun, and it's helped me draw some players out of their shells and into the game a bit more.

I think that quill thing is quite genius and I'm going to outright steal it for my games.

[HWalsh]

For my Paladin Sir Gwyn, one of best rewards I got was an Intelligent Greatsword +1. It had no abilities, no skills, nothing that helped in combat aside from its +1. I already had a +1. But it talked and that was cool enough.

Another was once, we were walking through town when we came across a bunch of kids playing "Knights & Monsters."

One of the kids, a rotund little boy, described as having a red sheet tied around his neck for a cape who gripped a stick in 2 hands and shouted, "I'm Gwyn of Iomedae! Paladin of Iomedae! Huzzah!"

Sir Gwyn rightly approved and offered the little boy huzzah'ing lessons.