Col_Pladoh said:
As I mentioned, freeing captves is at least as beneficial as killing adversaries, so that is the justification for an XP award. The logic is in the same vein as awarding them for the casting of a spell that aids the party even though it doesn't necessarily harm any of its opponents or gain treasure.
How you do feel about xp awards for other "do the right thing" scenarios? After a very LONG adventure (slow over email!), I was thinking of toying with the idea of rewards for such things as I've listed below. Do you think these are worthy or unworthy, oh great sage of gaming?
Note: Some spoilers, but I won't tell the module I used.
- Immediate correct hunch as to the bizarre problem in a village, but without acting on it because the hunch didn't seem possible to the players.
- Using a skill to understand bizarre magic talk the villain was using to distract them. Basically, I gave them a speech about particle physics, and the character came back with, "Yes, but did you check for fuzzy quarks for 11th dimension neutron fluctuations". something like on a modified 30+ roll on a D20. The PC's didn't put anything together from this, though it did related to the plot, but everyone thought it was cool at the time.
- Using a skill to figure out some accounting records didn't make sense and were probably fake. Again, the PC's did well -- sneaking in to get the records and figuring them out -- but they couldn't figure out what was behind it.
- Surviving traps they set off accidentally.
- Disabling traps using clever ideas rather than thief skills.
- Convincing a carytid column to let them pass, by using knowledge of its maker and the correct ancient languages, including druidic. I figure full XP as if it was defeated in combat?
- In a single combat fight of honor with an ancient nonevil undead, conceding and winning the info you wanted from him and his respect, by bashing the heck out of each other with a high damage hit each round, until you were both one blow from destruction. I figure 1/2 xp for not actually winning.
- Fighting a ghost who wanted to kill an NPC to a standstill, forcing it to retreat because it could do no more, but not destroying it. I figure maybe 1/2 or 1/3 xp?
- Figuring out a ghost is a good guy.
- Finding the ghosts remains and properly burying them, thus freeing the ghost to go to its eternal reward. I figure the remaining xp up to its full value is about right, but maybe a little high?
- Knocking out and capturing an enemy. I figure full xp.
- Recovering friendly bodies and disposing of them properly. I figure no xp.
- Parlaying with an enemy (weird situation) and talking them into allying against the common enemy. I figure maybe full XP for the guy they initially parlayed with, and the leader?
- Combat in which 2/3 of the combatants were PCs, 1/3 friendlies, all similar levels. I figure 2/3 xp for the PC's.
- Combat with a really tough uberbaddy, who was basically toying with them, but when he took some hits and realized his plans were foiled by the destruction of his minions, decided to flee, getting away scot free with all his stuff. I figure something like 1/4 xp, or nothing?
- Rescuing from a burning building some records the fleeing uberbaddy was trying to burn, of no great value other than confirming the storyline and giving vague hints of future plotlines.
- Negotiating and intimidating a village into giving up allegiance to their previous, defeated ruler.
- "Nation building". Taking a village of folks that had no skills (basically blank slate minds for magical reasons) and hanging around for a month or so to feed them and teach them to farm and otherwise fend for themselves.
