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Message: <blockquote data-quote="N'raac" data-source="post: 6686371" data-attributes="member: 6681948">Seems like using that fancy signet ring is beyond the basics required for Bluff.  Why is this a de minimis requirement, rather than a bonus for cleverness (akin to attacking from higher ground)?  Bluff includes modifiers for the believability of the lie, of course.  But why "trouble at the south gate" rather than "trouble somewhere else in the city", with the character making up an appropriate location to which the guards may be lured?  Here again, if there is some in-game reason that the guards would be more likely to believe an issue would arise at the south gate rather than, say, at the docks, then a bonus for using that in-game fact seems appropriate.I'm thinking of, perhaps, a +1 bonus for the signet ring (perfect tools, like masterwork thieves' tools, give a +2, so the best tool for the job should cap out there).  If there is a good reason the guard would be more likely to believe an issue would arise at the south gate, maybe that moves the Bluff from "A little hard to believe/some risk" ["deserting my own post is a serious offence"] to "believable and doesn’t affect the target much" ["We've heard rumours of orcs amassing to the south - this could be it"]  Neither relies on the interpersonal skills of the player, which is where I see issues.  I would also note there would be nothing wrong with another player noting the rumours of the orcs make the south gate a good choice, or lending the character his own signet ring to better appear to be someone important, before they are in earshot of the guards.  Just as easily, a bluff with no location (but a good roll) could mean the guards' own concern about the south gate might be how the GM narrates that success - it could be the guard captain who interprets the "disturbance elsewhere" as "my Gods, lad, is it the South Gate?"  "Why yes, indeed it was to the south..."  No bonus to the player here, just narration of his success incorporating GM knowledge (which the players may not have known, or may just have forgotten).Mainly because it was not germane to my comments.  The mechanics also tell us what happens with a successful bluff check, although since it is not as simple as "hit or miss", more interpretation is required.  RP bonuses again have that issue of "I like his RP, and I don't like the other guy's" so there is subjectivity.  I recall one game where the longer-time players noted that "RP bonus" equates to "does something to screw the party".  xp bonuses have largely become a non-issue in our games, where we have moved to "advancement at the speed of plot".  This was not practical prior to 3e, but with all characters requiring the same xp to advance, dealing with wealth by level, etc., keeping xp equal has become more practical.  Spells and crafting that costs xp makes this tougher (Pathfinder got rid of xp costs for crafting).I'm also conscious of the math issue raised a while back.  Let's assume we have a party of L7 characters, with equal xp.  One of them does something unusual, so he gets an xp bonus - let's say 100xp times his level, so 600.  He's really happy I recognized his great RP, and even more so when he levels up, and the other three need another 400 xp to reach 8th level.  Wow, he really got a bonus, didn't he?The players go on another adventure, and the next time we award xp, they have had three CR6 encounters, 6 CR7's and a tough CR9 to close out the adventure.  We run the xp through <a href="http://www.incorporeal.org/rpg/tools/d20/" target="_blank">http://www.incorporeal.org/rpg/tools/d20/</a>.  The three L7's get 5,250 xp each, and the L8 gets 4,200.  Suddenly, his short term gain is long term pain.  This was another issue with xp costs for spells and magic - keep just below the rest of the team, and the next xp award pushes you above them.I find the RP bonuses are often more social than mechanical - the recognition of peers, rather than an in-game bonus.  In any case, the clever use of the signet ring and well role played Bluff of a disturbance at the South Gate could receive a similar RP bonus, couldn't it?  Now, the player making an eloquent speech for this 8 CHA with no social skills?  If anything, he deserves an RP penalty for playing the social outcast like an eloquent orator, not a bonus for a great speech.</blockquote>

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