RP reward

[Blue]

Howdy folks,

Looking for some assistance in bringing over something that is working well for my group to 4e.

In my current (3.5) campaign, I let the players give out chips to other players for a particularly good/in-character bit of RP. Could be a brilliant idea, a canonical action, doing something in-character that the player knows is stupid, or even a great in-theme maneuver in combat.

These chips ended up as shares in an extra XP pool, so folks who got them got bonus RP XP. (And I balanced other XP to have advancement where I wanted it.) Since it was a pool, players could be generous or stingy and i as DM still controlled the total of what I wanted to give out.

This works great to encourage players, and in other games with some of the same players people will often say "chip" as a virtual nod when someone does something particularly that character.

I've been playing 4e since it came out, but am looking to start running soon. I'd like to bring over the concept, but after years of it going to XP I am not convinced that's the best place. I'd like to give something more immediate, and something less math-y and more action oriented.

I though about every few chips was worth an action point, but that throws off balance of how often they are expected. With all the feat and paragon path support that seems like it would have ripple effects.

I've been thinking about an a la cart menu. Turning in some number to recharge an encounter power and more for a daily. Getting +5 on a death save. Rerolling a save. Using a second action point in an encounter (if you have it).

But I'm worried about either stepping on some other class (many things seem leader-like), or making some things too effective.

My other concern is that previously it was from a pool so I controlled the total - with just flat chip costs players may end up "mugging" for chips and giving them will get out of control. I had thought about a Deadlands-like "when you spend a chip the foes get a chip" sort of thing, but in the end that's rewarding the villains for the players doing good RP.

I figure with all the experienced players and DMs here others will have ideas. So, how would you reward superior RP & play in game while keeping balance, not marginalizing leader abilities, and putting the reward mechanism in player hands, not DM.

Cheers,
Blue

 

[Mengu]

Depends a little bit on how often you give out these chips. A few ideas... Turn in a chip to:

1. Slide an enemy one square when you hit.
2. Shift 1 square as a minor action
3. Shift 1 square as an immediate reaction to being hit by an enemy

Slightly more potent (maybe 2 chips)
4. During your turn as a free action, mark an adjacent enemy until end of next turn.
5. During your turn, gain a free minor action.
6. Use aid another as a minor action.

Even more potent (maybe 3 chips)
7. Spend a second action point in an encounter.
8. At the end of your turn if you have not made an attack, make a basic attack as a free action.
9. During your turn, gain a free move action.

You might lower or increase the chip cost, depending on how often these get handed out, tier of play, group size, etc.

 

[Camelot]

If you want to avoid all the effects seeming leadery, then add in some effects common to other roles.

For strikers, allow them extra movement and damage bonuses. For example: shift as a minor action or +2/4/6 damage.

For defenders, give them better marking and ability to attract attacks. For example: mark creature you can see as free action or get targeted by attack that would target adjacent ally.

For controllers, give them better ability to manipulate positions of combatants and status conditions. For example: slide creature 1 square or daze creature when you hit with an attack for 1 turn.

Also, I would say that you can keep XP as an option for using the chips. If a player would rather use their own abilities as they are without boosting them and prefer to grow faster, then they can spend the chips on XP instead of ingame benefits.

Maybe the chips can also help out in skill challenges. Bonus to skills, negate a failure, and other sorts of stuff that people normally have houserules for using action points in skill challenges.

The chips could even give roleplaying benefits. Maybe expending one chip can give you fame with a small group of people, three can make you known locally, and five can have word of you reach a powerful figure. These actually probably aren't good ideas...but you can think of something if you think it's a good concept.

 

[Amaroq]

Awesome Points

Your characters are epic heroes, men and women of destiny. At times, it seems even the gods seem to be looking out for them. That is represented in our campaign via “Awesome Points” which can be redeemed for an in-game effect.

Awarding Awesome Points:

At the end of each session, each of the players (including the DM) will vote on the day's "Awesome Character". The player whose character receives the most votes receives an Awesome Point. If the vote results in a tie, the DM may choose to award both characters an Awesome Point, or may break the tie in any way he sees fit.

In addition, the D.M. may award an Awesome Point to a player for any in-game moment. The most common award will be for excellent in-character role-playing.

Using Awesome Points:

Awesome Points can be used to break the rules of the game in some way.

You can use an Awesome Point to

Attack Roll:
. You can turn a "1" or a "Miss" into a "Hit".
. You can turn a “Hit” into a “20”.
. You can turn an opponent’s “Hit” or “20” into a “Miss”.
Skill Check:
. You can re-roll your skill check, and choose the better of the two results.
Saving Throw:
. You can roll to make a Saving Throw at the start of your turn instead
. of at the end. If you succeed, the effects are not applied to you this turn.
Powers:
. You can re-use a Daily Power or Encounter Power which you have already used.
Action Point:
. You can spend an "Awesome Point" as though you had used an
. Action Point, even if you have already used an Action Point in this encounter.
Healing:
. You may take a Second Wind as a Minor Action.
Death:
. You can automatically stabilize any dying character. No action need
. be taken by your character to do this; your character does not even
. need to be capable of taking action for you to use this power.
Story:
. You can use ask the D.M. for a dramatic plot twist – either in combat or out of it.

You may use only one Awesome Point per encounter.


Awesome Points and Character Death:

If a character dies, it is important to note that “Awesome Points” are awarded to the player, not to the character.

If you decide to roll up a new character, you begin with any Awesome Points that you have earned, even if you earned them while playing a different character.


.....

That's what we use, anyway.

 

[eriktheguy]

If you are looking for an immediate bonus to the player you could just give them a bonus to whatever they are doing.
I mean if they are acting in a skill challenge you generally reward good role playing with a +2, but you could award terrific role-playing with an automatic success.
If they are fighting and describe something spectacular that fits the scenario and their character, give them an auto-hit or some bonus damage.
If the witty, sharp tongued bard recites a 3 verse insult that she memorized specifically for one villain (mocking him for something he did earlier and making fun of his main character defects) and uses it to cast Viscous Mockery during the final epic showdown, just let her crit (and maybe he is dazed in his fury).
I sometimes award action points for spectacular roleplaying. If I give out only one or two per session, I find it doesn't mess the balance up too much.

 

[Blue]

If you want to avoid all the effects seeming leadery, then add in some effects common to other roles.

For strikers, allow them extra movement and damage bonuses. For example: shift as a minor action or +2/4/6 damage.

For defenders, give them better marking and ability to attract attacks. For example: mark creature you can see as free action or get targeted by attack that would target adjacent ally.

For controllers, give them better ability to manipulate positions of combatants and status conditions. For example: slide creature 1 square or daze creature when you hit with an attack for 1 turn.

Brilliant! If players can spend chips to make them do what they already do, only moreso, then they aren't stepping on each other's toes at all.

The chips could even give roleplaying benefits. Maybe expending one chip can give you fame with a small group of people, three can make you known locally, and five can have word of you reach a powerful figure. These actually probably aren't good ideas...but you can think of something if you think it's a good concept.

Yeah, I often (in 3.5) run sessions without combat. 4e already had things in place to count these as encounters, but I'd really have to make sure that chip rewards could be beneficial at thsoe times as well.

 

[Starfox]

One way to stay close to your original idea:

Every other encounter (the ones that do not give a milestone), allow players to bid their earned chips for an action point. Minimum bid is one chip. The winner spends his chips, the others keep theirs. Chips carry over from session to session.

This keeps the reward pool under control (you can change the frequency of bidding if you like) and gives the players a bit of say in when they want to shine.

 

[Blue]

One way to stay close to your original idea:

Every other encounter (the ones that do not give a milestone), allow players to bid their earned chips for an action point. Minimum bid is one chip. The winner spends his chips, the others keep theirs. Chips carry over from session to session.

This keeps the reward pool under control (you can change the frequency of bidding if you like) and gives the players a bit of say in when they want to shine.

This is a very interesting way to handle a variable number of chips while still keeping control over the level of rewards given out.

My first thought was that my players will cooperate and bid low except for someone they want to win. But then it occurred to me "so?" - I'm still controlling the pool. If I want, I could even give our a reward tot he top two bids.

Interesting, if they are bidding ahead of time on the next scene, instead of giving a mechanical award like an action point, they could be bidding on an extra "spotlight moment". Everyone always gets their chance to shine, but this would be something else - throw in an unplanned connection to a character arc plot in the next encounter, have a skill challenge have a beneficial circumstance for them ("one of the duke's guard is a childhood friend and greets you warmly") or make sure a treasure parcel has something they've been looking for. More improv, but it's part of the DM's job to adapt and roll with whatever comes up.

So as to not break up pacing with an auction, since we use physical poker chips I could just have players leave pile in front of them that's their "current bid". They can add or subtract from it at any time (give them something to do when not acting), and when I call an auction they tell me what they have right then. Then it doesn't have to be at predetermined times between non-milestone encounters.

 

[buddhafrog]

I like the general objective of the OP and will try something similar in my game to encourage role-playing. I also like the idea of giving them powers similar to their character's which emphasizes that these are rewards for "playing/being" their character.

My campaign has a ranger, fighter, sorcerer. I will offer each PC 1 or 2 options they can use with their chip -- and ask if they have suggestions as well, of course.

For the ranger: I will likely offer him an extra move. Fighter: rolling d20 twice, choosing best roll. Sorcerer (who likes to be all scary to others): some sort of action that gives him a momentary (one turn) presence of power (think LOTR Fellowship where Gandolf intimidates Bilbo) where enemies will choose to attack another PC besides him if possible.... I'll be thinking more about these, but these would likely be possibilities.

I'm not too concerned with these powers being too strong. I will control the pot from which to pass these out. I might also take these chips away if their characters do something that I believe would really stress their PC's psyche, etc.

 

[Fridayknight]

In our group i know this method of chips wouldnt work, we are all so British and nice that nobody would want to vote for themselves or let someone get no votes. Also, it may seem like a good idea to award people for good rp but in my experience i find that some will have more of a background to RP from and have enough time to work out this background (its a bit like rewarding people for not being employed ie having so much time they come up with essays - i can do this because im a student