
TT reader clem (who goes by clem in the comments, too) is running a seafaring campaign with advanced characters, and he’s finding that his players need different kinds of rewards for their PCs.
He recently shared this with me via email:
The characters are about as good at what they do as there is any need to be[.] Likewise, going the superhero/demigod route would ruin the swashbuckling vibe the campaign depends on. Since there are many stories yet to be told and many plotlines yet to resolve, retiring the characters or killing them off is undesirable.
Regardless of game system, genre or setting, this problem is going to crop up in any long-running campaign. So how does clem handle it?
Still, players like to be rewarded. What to give them? For one thing, reputation. In port, they overhear people telling stories about the legendary Sea Wolf. The powers that be seek their counsel. [NPCs] vie for the honor of being a redshirt on the ship. The [PCs] also gain rank and reputation aboard the ship for discoveries and accomplishments that add to the legend. In an individual case, a grateful sun god forced some of his arrogant paladins to seek out a player character and apologize for disrespecting him after he was instrumental in defeating a terrible darkness bringing monster. A clerical character received a promotion in clerical rank that gets him considerable respect and opens many doors.
That’s an excellent approach, and one that many players will enjoy — which is why I asked clem if I could share his email with other TT readers (thanks, clem!). He closed with this:
However, even this has limits. Now I am casting about for other ways to meaningfully reward players.
So how about it: What do you think of clem’s approach to rewarding powerful PCs, and what else can you do to keep your players interested in their characters once the mechanical rewards taper off?
For my two cents, one school of thought is that your players will stay engaged as long as they’re still having a direct impact on the aspects of the game world that they care about (large or small) — and those aspects of the campaign will nearly always be roleplaying-oriented, not mechanical. What do you think?
My players have enjoyed reputation and being known. I have made in older campaigns, players being ambassadors, in line for the head of a religion, personal guard for royality, a regionally known entertainer. Their exploits have been recorded in the campaign history for other groups to hear about. I think for them its the sense of being part of the overall campaign.
i always loved the non-mechanical rewards far more than the statistical ones. i liked my character to fill a role in the world.
relatedly, my favorite pieces of treasure were always those with history. some story attached to them that made the object more valuable in telling it.
Reputation is good,
I like to add.
Contacts (people in the know who will point the player flashlight in the right direction)
Favors (debts of honor, allies, and just plain things friends will do for friends, never know when the whole party might need ressurection, and the GM can take the gloves off if the High priest owes the party that big of a favor).
1. Hone rivalries with another adventurer/group. This ties in with reputation, but there’s always a motivation other than treasure if the OTHER group is doing something, getting credit for it, etc.
2. Put ’em on the run. This ties in with Telas’ fame and fortune. Their “reward” is being blamed for murder/theft of something they didn’t do. Now they have to prove themselves, work outside the establishment. In the comics, everytime Batman got stale, they went this route.
3. Secrets. (or rather, The Big Secret). This works if there is a macro story arc about a world-changing Something Really Bad That’s Prophesied To Happen. Each episode, the “reward” is learning a little bit more about the Big Secret. This keeps them engaged, regardless of level.
4. Anchors, and other things that weigh us down. With success comes responsibility — and inlaws and other hangers on. These can be a source of story ideas. And players love to hate ’em, because it means they are having success, but it impacts them in a negative way without being a overtly penalized. Sometimes, the anchor is something or someone they have to PROTECT, which is probably related to The Big Secret.
The best way I can think to do this is to ask the players what they want for their PCs. Ask for some generic goal that they want for their character. Then build that into the game. Set challenges to it, but structure the game so that the player’s goal is being pursued. They want to overcome their own challenge. Generally what I think would be cool to happen as a GM, and what the players want for their characters differs slightly. When I run campaigns open ended the players are usually looking to modify the world to suit their needs, be it taking over the guild they are part of, changing the course of their characters fate, getting revenge on some insignificant NPC who had a minor negative impact, wanting to fight zombies, or take on a mecha singlehandedly, etc. I think it most basically equates to the player wanting to see their character do something cool.
I also enjoy using relationships as a reward. It might simply be the gratitude of the merchants you rescued, or a new but life-long friendship with a sphynx, or even an offer for marriage. Honorary membership in the Alchemists Guild might get the heroes a discount on standard potions or access to more potent brews. Joining secret societies (like the Harpers in the Forgotten Realms) can be a source of both reward and future adventures. Titles of nobility are also fun, assuming your game has the right sort of culture.
– Brian
You want a really BIG one? Go watch The Magnificent Seven.
Now do that, but on a national level.
T
Wow, I love what Quillion said about favors, I really like that idea.
I use an idea taken from the DM’s Guide II: magical locations as treasure. Give PCs a place where they can gain mystic access to information or healing for free (if they’re willing to make the trek) and watch how much this is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s hard to get it so it’s not too overpowering or too insignificant, but if you get it to work right, it’ll add that much depth and flavor to your campaign.
I hope to work in the direction of big characters in my game, and the mechanic I’m looking at introducing is the fact that the party’s sphere of influence keeps increasing. They don’t get material rewards any more and the mechanical rewards probably slow to a crawl because they only adventure when the big bad shows up, but they have all kinds of influence.
I think that there should come a time when the party isn’t doing quests to get a heap of cash any more, but are earning a regular or semi-regular income and managing assets. Granted, this may tend to turn the game into an RTS, but here’s the thing: generally you get rewards from NPC’s that are richer/more powerful than the party. This can lead to some pretty crazy escalation later on in the game.
I’d rather have it be that the party now is on a level with the biggest gameworld badasses and they’re having to assign quests to underlings and shell out rewards of their own (while trying to find time to do some adventuring on the side).
It’s basically like they’ve been promoted to management now, and they find out that not only do they have to get all their own work done, they have 18 projects they can’t handle themselves that need to get done, too.
I’m rambling because it’s late. I think I covered the basic idea.
Although this isn’t quite another sort of reward if you took Jennifer’s idea and combined it with each PC taking on an apprentice/heir to imbue with some of his own goals (for continuation of plot lines)and skills then the apprentice/heirs could take on some of the easier quests and they’d be the ones getting the (much more easily given rewards) for that adventure.
This also gives the opportunity if wished for players to try out different roles if a PC’s heir was played by a different player.
Are we talking about rewarding *PCs* or the *players*? I think this is an important distinction.
… and I’m not trying to pick on Troy in particular , but think about his statement:
“3. Secrets. (or rather, The Big Secret). This works if there is a macro story arc about a world-changing Something Really Bad That’s Prophesied To Happen. Each episode, the “reward†is learning a little bit more about the Big Secret. This keeps them engaged, regardless of level.”
If the players don’t give a fig about that Big Secret, then that’s not a reward at all. It’s just huff and puff from the GM.
See the difference? If the focus is on rewarding players, engaging them in things that they interested in, then this can work. Do the players dig the Big Secrets?
Rewarding PCs is a waste of time (!) if those rewards are not congruent with player interests.
JJ: Many players equate the two, at least in my D&D experience (pun unintended).
For some, though, just gaming is reward enough. The satisfaction of a fun evening and achieving goals is the whole point of a one-shot, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy those. Why is it an assumption that RPG characters must advance in power?
…But that’s probably another topic entirely. 🙂
Telas: I agree with you, in part. It is my concern that people confuse one with the other. You won’t know which is which until you ask. More asking, less assuming – that’s what I like to see.
Are you looking for non-mechanical rewards or merely different types of rewards? I like a combination of both.
In most seafaring games i’ve been involved with the ship has become the home base for the PCs. Why not reward the PCs with some enhancements to their vessel?
1. Interesting crew members. An apprentice loremaster will trade his services (identify 3x/day) for room and board and the opportunity to gain knowledge by studying items collected by the PCs. A bard trades entertainment and chronicling of the PCs adventures for room and board. The bard spends time at every port the PCs stop at to spin tales of their recent adventures. A priest will trade healing (50 pts per day) for a chance to see the world from the deck of the Sea Wolf.
These types of NPCs can play a mechanical role for the powergamers as well as a non-mechanical role for the rest. They can be as engaged as you want them to be and can also be the source of additional adventure. You can have fun with them too (possessions, assassinations, spys, etc.).
2. Ship equipment enhancements. Teleportation stones that return the party to the ship once per X. Library on board capable of researching knowledge checks at +10 skill. Cargo bay of holding (capable of holding 2x the normal capacity).