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How to keep players motivated (or, "change that smelly old carrot once in a while")
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<blockquote data-quote="TrizzlWizzl" data-source="post: 182428" data-attributes="member: 3510"><p>Well, Sigil’s right... kinda. I don’t disagree that 3E pretty much leaves DMs high and dry when it comes to system-defined rewards other than "Experience Awards" and "Treasure". There’s a tiny little section on p.172 called "Other Rewards" that more or less points out exactly what Sigil’s been saying: that in order to keep the game interesting, PCs are going to need more than just XP and gold coins. It basically states that as characters rise in levels, they rise in notoriety and the game should reflect that.</p><p></p><p>[p.172 DMG ]: Heroes are often awarded grants of land (which aid in the building of strongholds), decrees of friendship from communities they have rescued and even honorary titles of nobility. [/p.172 DMG]</p><p></p><p>So the DMG does, in fact, acknowledge the necessity and inevitability of rewards other than the Big Two discussed in Chapter 7... it just doesn’t have lengthy mechanical methodologies proscribing the adjudication of such rewards, choosing to leave these more amorphous elements in the hands of the DM. </p><p></p><p>I guess that’s what supplements like the StrongholdBGB are for. The characters in my party were promised townhouses in the swank section of Brindinford if they would find and return the Baron’s lost son (the paladin from Standing Stone)... they haven’t made it back yet (SideTreks®), and I’m looking forward to pricing their "carrots"... which brings up a quick point: is ShBGb just an extension of the "Treasure" section? I mean, if the rules basically help convert gp into strongholds, how is the "carrot" really changing, other than to present more options for things to buy with gold?</p><p></p><p>Also, let’s not forget Prestige Classes, which I feel are intended to be "carrots" of a sort. A player in my group has been training night and day since 2nd level to learn the fine magical and martial arts required to become an Arcane Archer. As far as "name" levels go, I think you see their replacement in PrCs.</p><p></p><p>All said, I think the ultimate "carrot" proposed in the DMG seems to be the game itself. Well-run, well-prepared, engaging, exciting and fun. If you run the game right, the players will keep coming back for more. I’m not trying to ring my own bell (only a little), but I run my game as close to the manner outlined in the DMG as I can. My campaign has been running for a year and a half (a little more, actually), and no "carrot issues" yet. If it’s not a town under assault from devilish hordes, it’s a dungeon full of kewl dwarven stuff. If it’s not a few missing merchant children, it’s a wacky town in the middle of the forest with weird ancient druidic stuff all around. If the characters have something solid to sink their teeth into, "smelly carrots" get forgotten about (by many) in favor of just playing the game.</p><p></p><p>Player #1: "Dude, now that’s over with let’s get back to Brindinford and collect on our reward!"</p><p>Player #2: "What reward?"</p><p>Player #3: "Oh yeah... we were promised townhouses right?"</p><p>Player #1: "Damn right! I’m gonna put traps all over the place..."</p><p>Player #4: "[to me] Hey, when’s the next game? Two weeks right? Right?"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TrizzlWizzl, post: 182428, member: 3510"] Well, Sigil’s right... kinda. I don’t disagree that 3E pretty much leaves DMs high and dry when it comes to system-defined rewards other than "Experience Awards" and "Treasure". There’s a tiny little section on p.172 called "Other Rewards" that more or less points out exactly what Sigil’s been saying: that in order to keep the game interesting, PCs are going to need more than just XP and gold coins. It basically states that as characters rise in levels, they rise in notoriety and the game should reflect that. [p.172 DMG ]: Heroes are often awarded grants of land (which aid in the building of strongholds), decrees of friendship from communities they have rescued and even honorary titles of nobility. [/p.172 DMG] So the DMG does, in fact, acknowledge the necessity and inevitability of rewards other than the Big Two discussed in Chapter 7... it just doesn’t have lengthy mechanical methodologies proscribing the adjudication of such rewards, choosing to leave these more amorphous elements in the hands of the DM. I guess that’s what supplements like the StrongholdBGB are for. The characters in my party were promised townhouses in the swank section of Brindinford if they would find and return the Baron’s lost son (the paladin from Standing Stone)... they haven’t made it back yet (SideTreks®), and I’m looking forward to pricing their "carrots"... which brings up a quick point: is ShBGb just an extension of the "Treasure" section? I mean, if the rules basically help convert gp into strongholds, how is the "carrot" really changing, other than to present more options for things to buy with gold? Also, let’s not forget Prestige Classes, which I feel are intended to be "carrots" of a sort. A player in my group has been training night and day since 2nd level to learn the fine magical and martial arts required to become an Arcane Archer. As far as "name" levels go, I think you see their replacement in PrCs. All said, I think the ultimate "carrot" proposed in the DMG seems to be the game itself. Well-run, well-prepared, engaging, exciting and fun. If you run the game right, the players will keep coming back for more. I’m not trying to ring my own bell (only a little), but I run my game as close to the manner outlined in the DMG as I can. My campaign has been running for a year and a half (a little more, actually), and no "carrot issues" yet. If it’s not a town under assault from devilish hordes, it’s a dungeon full of kewl dwarven stuff. If it’s not a few missing merchant children, it’s a wacky town in the middle of the forest with weird ancient druidic stuff all around. If the characters have something solid to sink their teeth into, "smelly carrots" get forgotten about (by many) in favor of just playing the game. Player #1: "Dude, now that’s over with let’s get back to Brindinford and collect on our reward!" Player #2: "What reward?" Player #3: "Oh yeah... we were promised townhouses right?" Player #1: "Damn right! I’m gonna put traps all over the place..." Player #4: "[to me] Hey, when’s the next game? Two weeks right? Right?" [/QUOTE]
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