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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Rewards in 4e
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<blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 7038892" data-attributes="member: 23935"><p>I'm going to muse in text for a couple of minutes. This is stuff readers of this thread have already considered in all likelihood.</p><p></p><p>First a couple of assumptions are necessary to restrict the reward domain:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the reward is presented to the character and not directly to the player so simple bennies like rerolls/auto success tokens or chocolate chip cookies given to the players for interesting play don't count</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the reward should be persistent across scenes and not just be a modifier available in the current encounter so scene combat modifiers and unlocking special actions don't count</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">any form of reward is going to affect gameplay either by altering breadth, capacity, or amplitude of abilities the character can project so offering cosmetic variations (an empty title, odd hair colour, whatever) don't count. Note that this category can and does spur some players to action, but the segment tends to be small.</li> </ul><p></p><p>Character rewards in 4e suffer in much the same way character rewards in superheroic games suffer: the capabilities of the character are by-and-large internal so it is hard to offer shiny baubles the player would strive for. By internal I mean either directly provided and powered by the character OR presented by a predictable mechanism in the game engine like the parcel system.</p><p></p><p>So a reward is likely to take the form of externalized secondary abilities the character can call on. There are a bunch of likely suspects that fit the base genre. In no particular order we have:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Additional Magic Items -- extra items in excess of the parcel system but deliberately more varied with the intent to broaden rather than deepen capability. Consumable items would be preferred so as to not to accumulate and clutter the character sheet over time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Granted powers -- extra daily/.encounter/at-will power that offers interesting options. The power could be granted through reaching an inaccessible location, from a powerful patron, or mystical experience. Consumable or limited duration powers would be preferred so as to not to accumulate and clutter the character sheet over time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Allies -- those who willingly provide their capabilities at the PCs direction.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Social perquisites -- extra "abilities" nominally gained inside civilisation typically awarded as part of entitlement or assuming specific roles in society such as arrest powers, dispensing low justice, troop command, etc. The use of these abilities is limited to those territories where deference is given which can be a real problem for 4e play, especially as the character become more 'mythic' in scope..</li> </ul><p></p><p>[edit clicked in the wrong place before finishing my post]</p><p></p><p>4e suffers from having all characters able to access more generic genre-appropriate capability (stunting, page 42, etc.) This directly attacks providing powers/abilities as rewards since the group could plausibly achieve a similar result without gaining the reward.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nagol, post: 7038892, member: 23935"] I'm going to muse in text for a couple of minutes. This is stuff readers of this thread have already considered in all likelihood. First a couple of assumptions are necessary to restrict the reward domain: [LIST] [*]the reward is presented to the character and not directly to the player so simple bennies like rerolls/auto success tokens or chocolate chip cookies given to the players for interesting play don't count [*]the reward should be persistent across scenes and not just be a modifier available in the current encounter so scene combat modifiers and unlocking special actions don't count [*]any form of reward is going to affect gameplay either by altering breadth, capacity, or amplitude of abilities the character can project so offering cosmetic variations (an empty title, odd hair colour, whatever) don't count. Note that this category can and does spur some players to action, but the segment tends to be small. [/LIST] Character rewards in 4e suffer in much the same way character rewards in superheroic games suffer: the capabilities of the character are by-and-large internal so it is hard to offer shiny baubles the player would strive for. By internal I mean either directly provided and powered by the character OR presented by a predictable mechanism in the game engine like the parcel system. So a reward is likely to take the form of externalized secondary abilities the character can call on. There are a bunch of likely suspects that fit the base genre. In no particular order we have: [LIST] [*]Additional Magic Items -- extra items in excess of the parcel system but deliberately more varied with the intent to broaden rather than deepen capability. Consumable items would be preferred so as to not to accumulate and clutter the character sheet over time. [*]Granted powers -- extra daily/.encounter/at-will power that offers interesting options. The power could be granted through reaching an inaccessible location, from a powerful patron, or mystical experience. Consumable or limited duration powers would be preferred so as to not to accumulate and clutter the character sheet over time. [*]Allies -- those who willingly provide their capabilities at the PCs direction. [*] Social perquisites -- extra "abilities" nominally gained inside civilisation typically awarded as part of entitlement or assuming specific roles in society such as arrest powers, dispensing low justice, troop command, etc. The use of these abilities is limited to those territories where deference is given which can be a real problem for 4e play, especially as the character become more 'mythic' in scope.. [/LIST] [edit clicked in the wrong place before finishing my post] 4e suffers from having all characters able to access more generic genre-appropriate capability (stunting, page 42, etc.) This directly attacks providing powers/abilities as rewards since the group could plausibly achieve a similar result without gaining the reward. [/QUOTE]
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