D&D 5E Inspiration: Exclusive, Group, or None

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ScaleyBob

Explorer

• Jul 3, 2017

• #11

I tend to be fairly generous with Inspiration, because if I don't I tend to forget it exists.

If a player makes me laugh, says something particularly in character, does something extra-heroic or very fool hardy, works out a clue, or makes a good suggestion about what's going on then I tend to give them Inspiration. I try to give it out to each player every couple of sessions.

What I have noticed is players forget they've got it. My group recently started to use the Heroic variant from the DMG, where you can use Inspiration AFTER you roll the dice, and roll another d20 if you've failed. Seems to work well, and make people more likely to use it. It annoys players when they get awarded Inspiration when they've still got it, but that just means they should use it more.

 

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cooperjer

Explorer

• Jul 3, 2017

• #12

I let the players manage the inspiration. They are to award it to other players for playing to a bond, ideal, character flaw, etc. I allow multiple inspiration chips per character per game. I allow them to be saved from game to game in my home game. In AL games they are not saved. I haven't found this breaks the game. In the home game the players are good about awarding others. In the AL game they tend to forget or make assumptions about how inspiration is awarded. In the home game I also use it as a "carrot" for accepting a roll on the critical fail table. Two inspiration chips go to the players if one player accepts the table roll. One inspiration to the player that rolled a critical fail and one inspiration to a different player.

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cmad1977

Hero

• Jul 3, 2017

• #13

Works great when you use it. Works great when you don't.

For me:
Everyone gets it to start an adventure. They can regain it after it's been used not by 'acting' in character but by performing (usually) awesome or creative actions.
Ex: The gruff tempest cleric regains inspiration not by giving me a monologue(which would work) but by saying something like 'I've got a bad reputation and I'm a sailor. I'll try to scare the crew into obedience.

Or the Samurai spares an obviously inferior opponent.

Anyways. I've only recently gotten better with using it and I'm open to players suggesting 'hey! That guy did something awesome(wrestling a Bullette) doesn't that deserve some inspiration? Why yes it does!

I also remind the players often that they may use their inspiration if they wish. This seems to help them get into using it and earning it.


Probably not much help but... there you go.


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Ralif Redhammer

Legend

• Jul 3, 2017

• #14

I quite like inspiration. I’ll admit that I’m not always consistent with it, but I try to use it to encourage the kind of game I want to see. I value role-playing in character, so that’s pretty much a guaranteed way to get inspiration in my game. Same goes for crazy stunts and acts of swashbuckling. I make it clear to my players what they can do to get inspiration.

Occasionally, when a player makes a particularly heinous pun or bad joke, I joke about awarding un-inspiration, but would never actually do so.

 

GMMichael

Guide of Modos

• Jul 3, 2017

• #15

Triumph_Fork said:

So my questions are:
Do you think the inspiration system in 5e is a good system or not?

Should exclusive players get inspiration for character acting, should I give group inspiration for the entire party, or should I continue giving out none at all?

Click to expand...

I'll call it a good idea, if not a good system. Players don't use it because they want it there for their daily end-boss fight. DMs don't give it out because odds are their players already have it, and you can't have more than one. And on top of those problems, it's only worth getting Advantage on one check (roll?), which really should be available on any roll if the player can manipulate some sort of beneficial condition into the situation (since D&D removed bonuses in favor of Bounded Accuracy).

What to do? Allow PCs to have one Inspiration per character level, and hand it out like candy if they're full up or not.

Seramus said:

I gave up on the Ideals / Bonds Inspiration thing.

Click to expand...

Sooo, D&D makes an honest attempt to improve role-playing (emphasis on role) and you let it collect dust? There's a WotC employee spinning in his cubicle somewhere...

 

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Seramus

Hero

• Jul 15, 2017

• #16

DMMike said:

Sooo, D&D makes an honest attempt to improve role-playing (emphasis on role) and you let it collect dust? There's a WotC employee spinning in his cubicle somewhere...

Click to expand...

My players are all gigantic hams and great roleplayers. They don't need Bonds and Ideals to play their characters, and the extra book-keeping actually slows them down a little.

 

Ath-kethin

Elder Thing

• Jul 15, 2017

• #17

I never used Inspiration (put me in the "forgot it even existed" category) until I played a bit in an AL game. The DM of that game gave everybody a point of Inspiration at the start of each session (non-cumulative, so it was use-it-or-lose-it). I poached all of my players from that group, and they just kept following the same system at my table.

I am 100% cool with that.

 

transtemporal

Explorer

• Jul 15, 2017

• #18

It is of course optional, but I use it quite extensively and I've expanded the usefulness of inspiration. Firstly, inspiration points come in two flavors - temporary and permanent. Temporary last until you spend them, permanent refresh each session. Secondly, you can have multiple points of both types. Plus, I've expanded out the list of what you can actually do with them.

I did this because I occasionally run very tough encounters and I want the PCs to have a reserve they can tap into if they find themselves in a pickle.

As for awarding them, I generally give them out after every session at the end of the session, and I have one to award and the group has one to award. Basically, I award mine to whoever I think was the MVP for the session (good play or good roleplaying).

 

GX.Sigma

Adventurer

• Jul 16, 2017

• #19

I find that Inspiration comes up so rarely that it's not worth using at all.

In line with 5e's design philosophy, I'd rather make it much bigger, or eliminate it altogether.

These days, I've been using straight-up Fate Points instead. No problems yet.

 

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Staccat0

First Post

• Jul 16, 2017

• #20

In my next campaign you'll just start with an inspiration point. You can only spend it when taking actions that are thematic with your traits. You get it back by invoking your flaw.

That way, it's the player's job to remember.

As is, I also use it as a carrot for characters who lose a contested roll against another player. Like "He rolled better than you. If you let him change your mind, I'll give you an inspiration point. The choice is still yours though."

 

Last edited: Jul 16, 2017