3) SCs (encounter rewards generally we could say) - Well, odd that you mention Strike! and invoking/allowing a complication, as I actually constructed such a mechanic for my HoML experimentation. I don't see ANY reason it wouldn't work in 4e. You create a 'character attribute' and you can generate 'inspiration' by playing against it, or generate 'advantage' by spending said 'inspiration'. It seems to work a lot better than 5e's version, which I didn't find to be very engaging. I'm still a bit fuzzy in my design on the details of what the 'advantage' is, it could literally be advantage (roll 2d20 take the best one) but I think allowing a favorable plot twist or something a bit bigger than a mere tweak to die roll is OK. This could also translate to permanent rewards via some simple narrative magic, you spend inspiration and create a new magic item, monetary reward, etc.
Just going to spell out some Strike! terms for folks following along who don't understand. Then some commentary.
Twist - You may have been successful at your task (or you may have not), but things have gone wrong in an interesting way. The situation has changed dynamically and better address it or things will escalate.
Complication - These are PC build traits. They cause trouble for your
character, but they're always good for you as
player. This is because:
1) Adversity is guaranteed in Strike! (like Dungeon World, 4e, etc). The game is centered around action and adventure always being present. Every situation has obstacles and every situation will escalate either vertically (escalation of present circumstances) or horizontally (situation changes with new adversity). Play snowballs. Typically the GM, the dice, and the fundamental resolution procedures + play principles determine how all that stuff comes about. However, Complications are player-exclusive features to be deployed, allowing them to decide when and where that adversity comes about! GMs don't get a say!
2) So players use their Complications in moments where the stakes might be lower (or they're ok with some mild, or perhaps worse, story fallout as a result) to generate Twists. Complication-generated Twists earn the player
Action Points (these are more different and more versatile than 4e Action Points - use your Tricks or get Advantage on a Skill roll out of combat or activate your Rally or Role Trigger ability in combat) to spend now to address the present situation or to pocket for the future.
3) So this Reward Cycle allows players highly functional Director Stance abilities to shape the narrative. You fail (generating or escalating adversity) when they want to and accrue assets to succeed when it truly matters to you.
There are already system-embedded ways to make offers to players in Skill Challenges, albeit they are neither integrated into the PC build system nor are they cross-encounter. I run completely orthodox RC Skill Challenges. So a Level 6, Complexity 3 Skill Challenge is going to feature:
a) 8 Primary Skill successes required before 3 Primary Skill failures.
b) 3 Secondary Skills at the Easy DC of 11 for a +2 bonus on (typically) the next Primary Skill.
c) 2 Advantages that can be deployed (typically to lower a DC by one step or * for success against a hard DC counting as 2 successes; 1 against hard and 1 against medium).
d) 6 moderate DCs (15), 2 hard DCs (23).
I use all the DMG2 adjudications for Rituals, Dailies, spending GP to earn successes, etc. Pretty standard. The only regular flourish I use is that I'll sometimes offer a player the ability to raise the stakes (the DC from medium to high) for 2 successes. This is the equivalent of the * usage of Advantages in (c) above except I make the offer rather than the player.
* above is kind of a "poor man's" Strike! Complication mechanics. "Poor man" because of it isn't contingent on PC build (from a systemization perspective) and because it doesn't create a dynamic, metagame asset economy; (i) the feedback loop is instantaneously resolved (you can't pocket a variable-use asset for later or even cross-conflict expenditure) and (ii) it isn't fundamentally integrated (although it is likely to be associated, because the player is going to be deploying this in situations where they can leverage their archetypal specialties - eg Athletics for Fighters or Arcana for Wizards) into PC build mechanics.
Strike! 's Complication > Action Point dynamic on play could be integrated into 4e, but it would require quite a bit of retrofitting. You would either need to completely tear-down and rebuild Action Points (integrating them coherently into both the noncombat and combat resolution mechanics) or you would need to leave them as-is and come up with a new metagame token for 4e. Further, Complications generate Twists. The 4e derivative would be a micro-failure in a Skill Challenge, so that would need to be taken into consideration.
As a completely unrelated aside, there is another "Reward" that I use in 4e regularly. Companion Characters. These can be skinned as all manner of things from Hirelings to Animal Companions to NPC Squads to Intelligent Weapons to Primal Spirits. The wonderful thing here is:
- They can go from actual mechanics to background color at a moment's notice (in my last 1-30 game, all 3 PCs had a Companion Character). For handling time minimization, a table rule of 1 Companion per combat works easily enough. If the PCs have a stable of Companions, this gives them some fiat capability + interesting tactical overhead in deciding which Companion they want to deploy (based on the dynamics of the encounter).
- 4e's beautiful encounter budgeting makes this a cinch from a GM perspective. If the Companion is a Standard, add an extra Standard worth of XP. If its a Minion, do likewise. Balance secured with no real addition to cognitive workload.
