D&D 5E The Case for Inspiration
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
I've tried and in my first campaign, it basically went unused for many of the reasons other have posted. It just wasn't very inspiring or fun, it felt like I was put into a position to have to reward players for playing their characters how I thought they should play them, and--mostly--I just never remembered to give it.
In my current Curse of Strahd game, I use a version of inspiration inspired by the Angry GM.
INSPIRATION = INSPIRED ACTION(inspired by the Angry GM)
Each session, each player will start with one inspiration token.
The token can be 'spent' to take an "inspired action."
When you take an Inspired Action, you can either gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw OR you can give advantage to someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to assist them directly in some way OR impose disadvantage on someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to hinder their action directly in some way. Whatever it is, the Inspired Action MUST somehow connect to one of your Personal Characteristics (traits, ideal, bond, or flaw).
After spending your inspiration token, you can get it back in the same session by Claiming a Setback. To Claim a Setback you must either impose disadvantage on one of your own ability checks, saving throws, or attack rolls based on one of your Personal Characteristics OR make a decision that creates a significant story setback, obstacle, or hindrance.
In my current Curse of Strahd game, I use a version of inspiration inspired by the Angry GM.
INSPIRATION = INSPIRED ACTION(inspired by the Angry GM)
Each session, each player will start with one inspiration token.
The token can be 'spent' to take an "inspired action."
When you take an Inspired Action, you can either gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw OR you can give advantage to someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to assist them directly in some way OR impose disadvantage on someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to hinder their action directly in some way. Whatever it is, the Inspired Action MUST somehow connect to one of your Personal Characteristics (traits, ideal, bond, or flaw).
After spending your inspiration token, you can get it back in the same session by Claiming a Setback. To Claim a Setback you must either impose disadvantage on one of your own ability checks, saving throws, or attack rolls based on one of your Personal Characteristics OR make a decision that creates a significant story setback, obstacle, or hindrance.
iserith
Magic Wordsmith
Out of curiosity, why is it a bad fit for your group?
I've found in my regular games and one-shots, it's probably one of the most popular additions to the game.
CapnZapp
Legend
Our group doesn't like or use it. The consensus is, it trivializes the mini-game that is "maximizing advantage".
Why spend time creating a character able to achieve advantage? Why hone combos that enable advantage?
When inspiration simply allows you to have it whenever you feel like it?
Why spend time creating a character able to achieve advantage? Why hone combos that enable advantage?
When inspiration simply allows you to have it whenever you feel like it?
Wiseblood
Adventurer
For me, I feel like I don't deserve it. It breaks the fantasy setting for me. It is like a degree of agency that conflicts with my role as a player.
But ...
In my group of players there is a tendency to forget things like potions excepting healing potions. Inspiration is kind of like that.
I have tried awarding it for rp, the portayal of flaws and such. I have also given one to each player at the beginning of session and still it is so frequently overlooked it becomes bookeeping.
My players also tend to get into tight situations that don't hinge on one diceroll and success is better than 50 percent of the time. Lastly class abilities like bardic inspiration and a warpriest's +10 get the jobe done.
That about sums it up. I don't know if my players have the same personal feelings as I do about it. I have tried to use it. It is just diconnected a bit. Which is why I checked the thread hoping to find an answer.
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Gardens & Goblins
First Post
It seems inspiration was included to provide players with a semblance of influence over a system that, despite clever planning and wise choice making, can kick a character in the dangly parts, all thanks to unlucky roll.
Which is fine. Sure, why not.
But Inspiration is something we forget to give/use and really hasn't connected with us. I think we're just used to having schnizzle happen and dealing with it. Its certainly not required for our table to enjoy roleplaying their characters or as an incentive to make character-based, rather than player-based decisions.
Nor do I, as the often DM, feel the need to award players for playing in a way that pleases me - and honestly, I find such a setup just a little patronizing. But I can get behind the idea of rewards and appreciate that they can be enjoyed.
Eh. Maybe we'll give it another another another go next session.
Which is fine. Sure, why not.
But Inspiration is something we forget to give/use and really hasn't connected with us. I think we're just used to having schnizzle happen and dealing with it. Its certainly not required for our table to enjoy roleplaying their characters or as an incentive to make character-based, rather than player-based decisions.
Nor do I, as the often DM, feel the need to award players for playing in a way that pleases me - and honestly, I find such a setup just a little patronizing. But I can get behind the idea of rewards and appreciate that they can be enjoyed.
Eh. Maybe we'll give it another another another go next session.
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iserith
Magic Wordsmith
A few weeks back, a lurker in one of my games online said that she thinks Inspiration is so useful in my games because every time the PCs rolled it was basically a life-or-death situation (metaphorically, if not actually). The stakes were high enough that the players felt like they had to fish for Inspiration and have it banked (and in some cases give up their Inspiration to another character) in order to hedge their bets. Now, this game was particularly intense, but this is generally true of the games I run because the need to roll, say, an ability check at all is tantamount to failure since you essentially failed to get an auto-success. The perception may thus be that Inspiration is much more valuable resource than in other games under different DMs.
I imagine in lower-stakes games or games in which there is often little consequence for failure on a roll, there's less impetus for wanting to have insurance against botched rolls.
Rhenny
Adventurer
I always found it difficult to award Inspiration as a DM. I like the idea you present, iserith.
I've started to grant inspiration when any player rolls a natural "20" for an attack, check or save. This has made rolling a "20" even more exciting and it has eliminated the burden of who awards inspiration and when.
I'm definitely a fan of inspiration on the whole because it gives players another chance to create heroic moments. Cool stuff.
I've started to grant inspiration when any player rolls a natural "20" for an attack, check or save. This has made rolling a "20" even more exciting and it has eliminated the burden of who awards inspiration and when.
I'm definitely a fan of inspiration on the whole because it gives players another chance to create heroic moments. Cool stuff.
Yaarel
He Mage
The Cortex system normally rewards personality. It determines success by rolling multiple dice. Each trait can be undeveloped d4, apprentice d6, professional d8, or master d10. You add whichever traits are pertinent to a specific check. So, a significant personality trait d8 that is expressed by a particular action can also be added to the pool.
This is super cool.
It is difficult to do this in D&D 5e because there is only a single d20 and bounded accuracy strongly discourages bonuses to success.
But it would be nice to somehow boost or augment a particular effort on the fly if it is pertinent to a particular personality trait.
This is super cool.
It is difficult to do this in D&D 5e because there is only a single d20 and bounded accuracy strongly discourages bonuses to success.
But it would be nice to somehow boost or augment a particular effort on the fly if it is pertinent to a particular personality trait.
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