Rewarding Good Aligned PCs

[Shin Okada]

Game mechanic wise, unless a PC choosing some classes or feats which need one to be good aligned, being neutral is much better.

In most adventures, many opponents are evil aligned and thus adventures often meet anti-good attacks such as Unholy Blight or Smite Good. On the other hand, neutral PCs can still use powerful anti-evil spells and magic items (such as Protection from Evil or magic weapons with Holy property).

I see more players choose xx--neutral for power gaming than the players whom choose XX-good for the same reason.

So, I want to reward good-aligned PCs. Other than story-based reward (say, good-aligned patrons tend to be more generous to good PCs), what kind of rewards can be given? Say, good-specific items, services and such.

 

[captnq]

Barriers that only kill non-good people.

Weapons with the 30% cost reduction Only if user is LG.

Being evil or good is easy. Being neutral is a balancing act. It's easy to fall out of Neutral.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Out of curiosity, do you ever talk with your PCs about what it means to be good in your game? I know for myself, if I'm with a new DM or group I'll pick xx-neutral until I find out what is expected of alignments.

You could do something where a trap won't trigger for someone that is LG. Or if someone of good alignment drinks from the well they receive a maximized cure spell.

I think it would be easier to offer something a bit more story based. The Deva will only converse and help good characters. The shop owners offer the good PC a discount on their wares.

Some artifacts and all of the relics require alignments. Are your PCs particularly religious?

However, some of the more lasting rewards I've gotten are less tangible. Becoming a lord's retainer, becoming immortalized in statue and song, or romancing the NPC are things that I remember long after what a character's stats and gear were.

 

[billd91]

Maybe I'm lucky, but I usually don't have to worry much about this sort of thing. I get a mix of good and neutral PCs in most of my games, but my players pick their PC alignments because they genuinely want to play them - a good PC or a character with a little more moral flexibility. I can't recall a particular instance in which someone did so for a mechanical or power gaming advantage.

 

[Master Chr Smith]

Barriers that only kill non-good people.

Weapons with the 30% cost reduction Only if user is LG.

Being evil or good is easy. Being neutral is a balancing act. It's easy to fall out of Neutral.

The discount is a good idea. Alignment restricted items, or even class limited items are always a good choice for reducing cost to reward a Character above 'level specific' value. Just remember if they sell it that it IS worth less than a universally wielded item of the same type.
As for alignment I prefer neutral, particularly lawfull neutral using the 'Laws of the Order' game play, IE Monk or Monk/UA Druid variant combo (over powered base class adjustment but still fun), otherwise NG, CN and CE I think are easiest. NG don't care if the sword you pick up is stolen or not just not going out of your way to steel it....so long as it helps you save those orphans from the marauding dire rats, CN; Its mine! oh wait that ones better!, not going to go out of your way to kill some one for something but if you see it and you want it your going to get it...theeeeen traditionall evil Barbarian, CE Smash down the door, Ravage the towns folk and Pillage all the plunder...especially the grog.

 

[Voadam]

Several ways this can be done.

Ancient angelic stronghold ruin maintains its blessings for good. Good alignment creatures in the ruins are under a continual bless while in the ruins. Angelic chorus accompanies them through the ruins providing bard song but only those of good can hear it.

A house rule could allow evil to fall before good. Good characters count as [GOOD] for purposes of DR against fiends. Perhaps allow good characters to be under a no save sanctuary effect and fiends cannot touch them.

Perhaps the outsider evil bane weapon can be used by neutrals, but it acts as holy if wielded by those of good or evil.

I'm not familiar with many of the specifics but Book of Exalted Deeds by WotC and Good by AEG probably have some stuff along these lines too.

 

[GMMichael]

So, I want to reward good-aligned PCs. Other than story-based reward (say, good-aligned patrons tend to be more generous to good PCs), what kind of rewards can be given? Say, good-specific items, services and such.

Let's observe that this is different than providing incentives to be good. When neutral PCs see good PCs getting rewards, they're going to feel significant discrimination. When they see a good incentive, they'll think, "hmm, maybe I should start changing my alignment."

You can solve the Evil Guys Have Anti-Good Weapons problem by stating that all human(oid)s have some degree of good in them. Making them, conveniently, targetable by these weapons.

You can dissuade characters from non-good alignments by ensuring that the world treats them accordingly. Known non-good people get worse prices, are hounded by journeyman evangelists, and are also hounded by law enforcement. If you even look
non-good, you don't get to talk to nobility (insert nobility snark here). Or, very meta-, PCs take an XP penalty when not playing their alignment.

Preferred solution: stop using alignment.

 

[itsjustsoup.com]

I say give the character accolades and recognition- in addition to discount prices. Have the that character be invited to be taken in by a family while in town and given free room and board, tipped off about the latest evil gossip, even invited to the mayor, constable, or even nobles house for dinner or a stay for such good deeds. While the evil people sleep in the back room of the brothels. Play it up. If you think the good player is going to get jealous of the evil players "virtual spoils" then have a a"good" person sneak into their room at night as well.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I think alignment and rules should not intersect, or at least keep the amount of rules shenanigans to a minimum. I don't like the idea of a holy discount. Rather, use RP.

The LG church will sell certain items cheaper to people they believe are lawful good (and possibly have to prove they are members of that religion). Of course, if an evil PC uses magic to discern their alignment, plus maybe a little Bluff, they can get the discount too. Show up every week and they might stop scanning your alignment too!

 

[Endur]

Holy Avenger, intelligent good swords, other specific items that can only be used effectively by good characters.