Beyond Gold and +1 Swords: Making Rewards Meaningful in TTRPGs

[the_rpg_gazette]

Rewards in tabletop RPGs go far beyond just gold and magic items, they shape the story, reinforce gameplay mechanics, and influence player behavior. Each game has its own unique way of rewarding players, whether it's D&D’s treasure-filled adventures, OSR's XP-for-gold system, or Vampire: The Masquerade’s focus on influence and boons. Understanding how different games handle rewards can help GMs create more engaging and meaningful experiences for their players. From political power in Vampire to domain control in OSR games, the rewards system can deeply affect your campaign's narrative. Check out our latest article to dive deeper into the variety of rewards across different TTRPG systems and how they can enhance your game!

Beyond Gold and +1 Swords: Making Rewards Meaningful in TTRPGs

 

[Distracted DM]

Hm

 

[GMMichael]

. . . Each game has its own unique way of rewarding players . . .

Don't forget the GMs! Pizza and beer are always nice.

I guess I'm easy. As a player, I feel rewarded whenever I ask "what do I see there?" and the GM doesn't say, "roll perception."

 

[the_rpg_gazette]

HmView attachment 394686

Fixed it, sorry for the hassle, still new to the site!

 

[aco175]

Interesting read. I think that most non-gold/magic rewards are better in a home game with a long duration. In pick-up games with random players such as Adventure League (AL) or even weekly games at your FLGS with floating players it is hard to give out things like renown or a favor. Gold/magic is the 'right now' reward that can be used for other things. In a home game these other things can be developed and circled back upon a few levels later and the players will think you are cool since the favor they got from saving the baby dragon came back and saved them or gave them the knowledge to defeat the BBEG or something.

 

[Starfox]

The rewards my players care about are generally NPCs and holdings such as houses and vehicles. Fun magic items as well, but some players (and me) have come to lathe the +X items. An item has to actually DO something to be worth messing with.