Suggestions for Player Bribes

[pallen]

I'm not a big fan of backstories. Some players are great writers, but most aren't. When I DM, I mainly want plot hooks, not a short story. In one of my previous games, I asked my players for:

3 things that define your character
1 personal story goal that you would like your character to accomplish in the game
1 secret about your character

In exchange, they got one additional feat of my choosing.

Two players sent me bullet lists (with only the five items above mentioned). Both had great, fun characters. One player sent me five pages of character backstory that was nowhere near as interesting as either of the bullet lists. In any case, all three got their bonus feat. And I had seven plot hooks with which to start the game.

 

[Family]

polite beholders.

Spectator: Hey hey hey, there'll be no charging today....Hey, STOP! Get that furry thing off my eyelid!
Anomen: The monster! It speaks!
Spectator: Do you know how long it took me to find you guys? No one wanted to cooperate when I asked for directions. They just tried to hack me into little bite-sized pieces.
Imoen: Well, have you seen yourself lately?
Spectator: It's those other Beholders, they give us all a bad name. Maybe in future they'll give me a new avatar so that people don't mistake me for a bad evil Beholder. I would like to be purple. This dark flesh colour is not flattering. It doesn't go with my baby blues.
Imoen: Um.
Anomen: Are we not going to slay this foul beast?
Gen: Anomen, it's the Spectator beholder, from the Sahuagin city, don't you remember?
Anomen: I've killed too many of these, I don't remember.
Gen: He was the one we released from his duty. Speaking of which, what are you doing here?
Spectator: Oh, well, after you guys left, I had something to eat, a drow. They're crunchy on the outside, soft and squishy on the inside.
Jaheira: You should take off the armour first.
Spectator: And then I went to visit the family, after which I returned to the Beholder Council. They told me that since I still had 40 years of guarding to complete, and you released me from my duty, that I was obligated to guard you for the next 40 years. Then and only then will I be free.
Gen: Oh, I see. Well...come along then, I'm sure you'll make an interesting travelling companion.
Spectator: Well...this will be pleasant change from watching that stupid chest.
Gen: I'm sure it was quite dull.
Spectator: It was. Unless the imps came along, and then it was just irritating.
Gen: Well, I hope you’ll enjoy yourself with us.
Spectator: Who wouldn't enjoy guarding one such as you? I could watch your chest for a millenia.
Anomen: Back, foul beast! I will not have my lady's honour defiled! There shall be no more chest watching!
Spectator: Whoa...someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. She is quite a looker, isn't she, little knightling?
Anomen: (glare)
Spectator: But of course, beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. Heh, get that? Eye of the beholder. Tee hee!

 

[Rechan]

I'm not a big fan of backstories. Some players are great writers, but most aren't. When I DM, I mainly want plot hooks, not a short story. In one of my previous games, I asked my players for:

My sole incentive for backgrounds is this:

1) Family, Friends, Home Town/Birthplace, Enemies, Mentor or Order (i.e. Plot Hooks).

2) How you know the other party members (merged backgrounds). This is purely to build group cohesion and foster a sense of "Why we're adventuring together".

3 things that define your character
1 personal story goal that you would like your character to accomplish in the game
1 secret about your character

I'd use this, if I could convert it over to "NPCs from your past", and also "Who in the party do you know, and how?"

 

[TimeOut]

Just to add, always a good read (as are her other works):

The 100 Most Important Things To Know About Your Character

 

[Sanzuo]

Don't tell me this conversation is actually in the game...

 

[scholz]

I've incorporated (with some success) a background device I based on ensemble TV shows (Firefly, StarTrek). The idea is not to write a big backstory at the beginning. Instead the story get revealed a little bit at a time during the season (campaign).

The way this works is that the characters can opt to have special knowledge or skills that helps them solve current problems in the game.
For example: The party is trying to escape the town guard of Greghawk (having been mistook for thieves), Redgar declares that he was a native of the town and knows a good place to lose them. (Local Knowledge) The DM determines this is okay (and will advance the plot). Now it is established that Redgar is from Greghawk.

This requires buy in by the players. If they abuse the system it can be a problem. But, I find that the openings in the story can make good roleplayers quick story tellers, and it works pretty well.

The same can apply to professional skills, smatterings of language, etc.. It can flesh out the character in a way that is immediately relevant. And as the GM I can use those things for role playing hooks later.

 

[FireLance]

How about giving them a "Story Point" which can be used like an action point, but it neither goes away nor gets refreshed on an extended rest.

Instead, the character gets it back every time something in his background adds a complication to the game, e.g. one of his friends or family gets into trouble.

 

[nittanytbone]

How about Action Points? Award them APs that stick around when you sleep, but can never be restored.

 

[Dracollich]

You could give them a "Get out of one bad die roll for free card".

Seems me as the DM has taken all the mojo from the dice used by everyone and use it to beat them over the head with kobolds. In the first adventure we ran last week end, one player rolled 3 ones in a row, followed by a 2 and a 4. A free re-roll on any one roll they make would be worth a kings ransom.

 

[Saeviomagy]

As a player and a DM, I prefer the "write down what you feel like and otherwise make it up during play".

So if I don't write down on my background that I have one sister and no other siblings then the dm and I are free to make it up when it becomes important.

That means that I can use it to bum off my sister who happens to live around these parts, or the dm can use it to take my sister hostage or have her bug me to do some quest.