How much bonus XP for player logs?

[Nonlethal Force]

I give "fate points" -- like action points, but a bit better -- for each log entry. Players like having fate points, because one FP can prevent one PC death. Players like having more than one, because you can use them for cool things, and the virtuous cycle emerges: doing something cool -> writing about doing something cool -> getting a bonus when doing something cool.

My theory is: if you care about your PC and get involved in the world more, the world makes allowances for your PC.

I like this idea much better than giving away XP. Intangible awards are a much better solution to an ICly speaking intangible journal. After all, taking notes/etc isn't an IC thing, it is an OOC thing. Using a fate point to prevent a character does have IC ramifications, but it is largely an OOC activity. I like this solution, good job.

Now, if it's a journal their character keeps as well, then they get the benifit of reduced DC's on skill checks related to past events and some other more subtle benefits along the way since they also run the risk of the journal being stolen and used against them.

I also like this IC solution for a journal that has IC attributes. To this one I say good job as well.

 

[Chimera]

This sounds like an issue of different play styles to me. Some players just want to show up to the game every week,

I've made it abundantly clear that I don't run that sort of game.

Not paying attention during the game is one thing, but I don't think you should penalize them for not reading the Story Hour. Offer a (preferably in-game) bonus for reading it perhaps, but not a penalty.

I got some of the 'not paying attention during the game' too. But that's usually just one problem player, and he's got the same issues IRL.

As I said, they were told twice that the story hour contained information that we didn't have time to go over during the session. The only "penalty" is that you don't have the (vital) information, which showed in that next session. Now they've been given the "I'm not changing the story line to protect you from not bothering to read the information I gave you" warning.

 

[Slife]

@ the people who give extra experience for a roleplaying type log

Do you give the barbarian's player experience if he scrawls a bunch of pictures on a crumpled up sheet of construction paper and calls it his log?

 

[Lord Mhoram]

@ the people who give extra experience for a roleplaying type log

Do you give the barbarian's player experience if he scrawls a bunch of pictures on a crumpled up sheet of construction paper and calls it his log?

If the pictures were recognizalbe enough to know it was that adventure, sure. And I'd probably give him extra for doing something so much fun in character. Everyone in our group would get a kick and a laugh out of something like that, and probably end up offereng advice on what to draw.

 

[Umbran]

I think it depends on how you deal with experience points in general.

I often work as follows:

I take the various encounters, and figure out how much XP they are worth.
I say some percentage (somewhere between half and 90%, depending on the campaign style) of that total may be earned by beating the challenges (in whatever manner the players manage it). The remainder is divided by the number of players, and each may earn their share by making the game more interesting - roleplay, being exceptionally clever, advancing story, and so on.

I don't care exactly what they do to earn those points. If it is good character development in game, cool. If it is a really interesting diary entry that gives me insight into the character, also cool. Each player can usually find something to earn their RP bonus in full.

I do not give awards for simply logging events, though. I was there, have my own notes, and don't need the players to tell me what happened. I need them to tell my why it happened the way it did, from their point of view.

 

[Lanefan]

None.

A long time ago when I started playing, I tried to keep a rough running log of what my PC was doing. It took about 2 sessions for me to realize I was paying more attention to what I was writing, than what I was writing about. End of log experiment.

As DM, I write up a full game log that gets released for public consumption only after the campaign ends (or when the info isn't relevant any more) as it includes background notes etc. that in some cases the PC's and-or players never knew.

Lanefan

 

[Insight]

Me too. A lot of the time I'd just be happy if they'd bother to read the bloody thing before the session, especially when I'm using the Story Hour as an important tool.

Heck, at the end of the session before last, I told them flat out that I would post some additional information in the story hour that we didn't cover in-session. Then when I posted it and sent out the e-mail, I reminded them of it.

Then I get to the session and found that NO ONE has read it! Not only that, but one player had the balls to say "I figured if it was important, we'd cover it in-session". Then that same player proceeded to attempt to get the party to act on assumptions that he was making without any basis in what had actually happened.

Not again. This time I'm telling them straight out that I have zero sympathy for people who act on false assumptions because they didn't pay attention or read the Story Hour for reminders of what had happened so far.

This speaks to a larger issue - and while I don't want to derail the discussion, I think it's valid. Players don't feel like they have any responsibility to do anything between game sessions if they're not running the game. Putting everything on the DM's shoulders is a surefire way to accelerate DM burnout. Players should want to participate, but many don't.

 

[sckeener]

the Action Point awards seem to work a little better.

Yup. That is what I did in my last game. Though I did limit it to once a game session. I didn't want to set a number of pages to action points or penalize people that can't write 15 pages on how smushed Kiljoy the orc was.

 

[Whisper72]

Hmmm... In all I like the idea of rewarding action or fate points, swahbuckling cards etc. or giving XP for _anything_ that increases enjoyment as espoused by Reynard.

The problem of tying it to Log entries is that this takes time.
Depending upon the type of players, how often you play and their constraints IRL, this sort of thing may reward those:
- who are simply better at writing stuff up on the fly
- who have more time at hand
Which has nothing to do with whether the players are involved or whether their PC's are 'grounded' into the world.

Personally, I would be against the specific giving XP or other rewards solely for writing logs. There should be other things (such as brilliant ideas in game, out of game ideas/suggestions for rules, whatever) which provide an amount of similar rewards that someone who is very much into the game, but does not have the time nor the skill/liking to write logs can easlity keep abreast in terms of XP/rewards with those who DO write logs...

Just my 2CP

 

[Gargoyle]

When I start a campaign at first level, I give them an extra 100XP each for detailing background, appearance, and personality traits. That 300XP puts them a good way to getting to second level, and it's only a page of material they have to write. The extra XP doesn't matter much in the long run. Beyond that, I've given up trying to get them to help me log a story hour or otherwise participate away from the table. They're just not into that.

I don't do as much work as I used to either. I don't have the time for it. If they were to come up with some material, I'd consider awarding some XP for it, but not a lot. I wouldn't want my players advancing at different rates because of "extra credit". I usually have players that lag behind anyway because they can't always make it.