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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5861635" data-attributes="member: 92305">Ever stroked the hair on the head and back of your dog for a full ten minutes, stop, look into his eyes, and you see how much he just loved what you did? When my players do well, I try to do the same thing. Some would call this "setting them up for success". I call it "giving the players what they crave" or "strokin' the PCs". I'll elaborate on what I'm talking about....    We're about to finish our first story arc in my Conan campaign. Real time, we've been playing about a year. We've had somewhere around 12 sessions. I started the campaign with the PCs aged 11, and during this first story arc (first major section of the campaign), we've seen them grow into men, at age 15. The players never knew it, but that was the focus of this first story arc. It's the story of how these Cimmerians left childhood behind and became accepted as warriors for their clan. In the next game session or two, the PCs will drag themselves back into their village after days of near death fighting among an enemy clan. The story is detailed, but the shortest version is that a 4 year old little girl was kidnapped by the enemy clan. And, the PCs were close enough when this happened to chase after her abductors. They found out the kidnappers were members of a clan that was the object of Blood Feud. The girl was tracked to the enemy stronghold. These young Barbarians battled their way in, rescued the girl, and are now returning to the village with the girl in tow.   Here's where the strokin' part comes in. I'm going to make a BIG DEAL out of the PCs return. The NPCs will be suitably awed. And the clan Elder will announce to all that these two are to be treated as adults, warriors for the clan.   When it seems appropriate within the flow of the game, I'm going to have things go back to normal (which will be pretty quick among these barbarians--work has got to get done or people starve). And, I'm going to describe a scene where the PCs are back to training again. Cimmerian warriors are always training. Drachena is an NPC that has served as the PCs principle trainer for the entire campaign. I'm going to describe a sparring match with her. She's 24 years old, and the PCs are all now around 15. It's only been about a week or so since the PCs went missing. But, when they left, they were Level 1. Returning, they're level 3 and almost 10 years her junior. She's level 4. From her perspective, the PCs really have improved their technique, achieving a level of battle competence in days what it took her a decade to achieve. I imagine an in-game situation where I'm describing the training session, where the PCs are getting the better of Drachena, and she throws up her hand, calling for a halt. "Battle Destiny" She says. I'm sure the players will ask what she means. "As the Morrigan's Crow takes to the air (she spits at the mention of the crow),"As the duck floats on the pond,"As this boar charges those near,"Thus you ARE when you enter battle." "All Foxmen become great warriors," she will say with some pride, "But there are a few who are born to it the way you are. You have a Battle Destiny. You will be great among us." There is no spite in her words, only awe at seeing someone with a rare gift. As the training session ends, she will say, "You honor us, the warriors who protect the clan, with your deeds these past days. Not only are you now a man, but you are a man who walks with honor." The players should know that this is about the highest compliment any of the NPC warriors are capable of giving.   Do you do this type of thing in your game? Set up an encounter strictly to make the players smile (and hopefully invest more emotion into their characters)? When I feel it right to do so, I do it, as I'm doing now.   What about you? How have you done this type of thing in the past?     EDIT:  Another boon from doing this type of thing is that it sets up yet another hook in the campaign.  If the players really dig this, I can take it farther, even making an adventure where those that are thought of as Battle Destined can test themselves.  But, if the players simply like it, and I feel no benefit in taking it farther, it still serves as a good moment for the players.  It's a win-win, from the GM's point of view.</blockquote>

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