trading backstory for some xp?

[krupintupple]

I was recently thinking about doing something like this, as about half of the time when someone in my group of five makes a new character, it's usually some random guy hanging out in a pub or a bar, and then the newer characters just so happen to run into him and they all decide that they should be friends. he's always "doug, good with swords" or "a girl with red robes, and a wand" and little else.

i was thinking of implementing a new policy where, if a PC wanted, they could write or jot up a quick sketch of background info and i might reward them somehow, like a one-time xp boost, or maybe an item or something that would suit their background.

i am inclined to do this because it would lead to better fleshed out characters, who aren't just numbers mashing one another trying to see who rolls better; and also, it'd give me, as the DM, a real chance to perhaps work some of the backgrounds into the plot, or to use as a tool for further story development, without having to ask "So, where are you going to go next week? Also, let me know if you like castles, snow, and fae."

your thoughts on this?

 

[irdeggman]

I always do this.

For a 1st level PC I award between 0 and 100 xp for a good backstory that accounts for major skills and feats and includes motivations, etc.

During gaming sessions I also award a "fun" bonus depending on how much fun the session was for everyone (I use 25 - 75 xp/character level) and a similar role-playing award. Not every session results in either or both of these awards being given though - but ususally I do.

 

[Serendipity]

I do this and when I'm running, I expect this. Though you've given me an idea - when new characters (not necessarily new players) join an existing game, giving the player a one time bonus EP or such if they can tell their backstory, in character.
Well, provided the character has reason to do so anyway.

 

[Runestar]

A 1-time xp bonus doesn't necessarily amount to much, since you will end up getting less xp if you level up faster, and conversely get more xp if you are of a lower level than your other party members (perhaps as a result of levelling up more slowly?). Depending on how/when the DM allocates xp, this xp bonus may or may not be significant (for example, if you get just enough xp at the end of the entire campaign arc to gain a lv, than that small xp boost won't make a difference at all).

I suppose it could work depending on how much your players crave that xp reward. I feel that it won't do anything as the person who writes a good backstory would be doing it more for the sake of creating a deep, immersive PC, and less so for the paltry xp gain (welcome as it may be, he would still have done it even without such a reward), while the players you really want to motivate, may not be that desperate for a little extra xp (and thus still not design a good background as they find the in-game reward not worth the extra work and effort they have to put in.

Has anyone actually had any success stories with this? For me at least, I would be indifferent to it.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Brilliant idea! It's a great incentive to flesh out your character more!

One thing you may want to consider is scaling the xp bonus for the level of the party. My GM gives out xp if we write an in-character journal, for 150xp a piece. That sort of free xp is nothing to sneeze at and I enjoy writing my journal so I'd write it regardless of the xp given. But at higher levels there will be less incentive to keep up with the journal (or the backstory, in your case) since it won't significantly make a difference in the xp needed to level up.

 

[taliesin15]

krupintupple writes:

i was thinking of implementing a new policy where, if a PC wanted, they could write or jot up a quick sketch of background info and i might reward them somehow, like a one-time xp boost, or maybe an item or something that would suit their background.

I think this is a great idea, especially for campaigns where the DM really wants or needs a bit of fleshing out help from the players. Anything to encourage role playing in the game helps.

The only problem is when a first level character comes up with an overly imaginative and improbably backstory. One example from one of my games a few years ago: the player invented a story about the PC being kidnapped by pirates and escaping the ship when they were asleep or in a storm or something like that. Then he show up in the town where the campaign starts. There were two problems with that. He forgot the part where I told them that the town was in the center of a continent, hundreds of miles from any ocean. And then there was the problem that he was a new arrival, and yet had ranks in Knowledge: Local. Which didn't really make sense for someone arriving in a town for the first time.

I also seem to recall a player running a Paladin in 1st edition who wanted his character to be a bastard son of one of the gods, Baldur, I think. Which made another player want his Thief character to be the bastard offspring of Loki.

 

[washout]

I tried to implement this kind of thing with my players and they completely revolted. I wanted to give an extra 15% bonus to the xp gained that night to the best roleplayer in the hope that they would compete to get it. Instead they told me that they would rather just rotate through it daily to let everyone get an equal share of the reward. My lesson learned was many players are not there to roleplay at all and shoulden't be penalized for that choice, even though you are just giving some bonus xp to the roleplaying types.

Instead make some strictly roleplaying encounters where the PC's have to talk to complete the encounter successfully. Then hopefully everyone works togeather to defeat the talking encounter.

 

[taliesin15]

Another thought on this. The more the player tries to immerse his character in the actual milieu (for which I usually give the players some basic outlines of the local community, the gods they worship, etc), I usually reward them with actual helpful knowledge--contacts, who has the best deals on equipment, people who know about adventure possibilities. These sorts of things I think are very helpful to low level characters.

 

[krupintupple]

i was thinking perhaps something like, if a well-written backstory that makes sense is presented, and even occaisonally updated, i'd give a +5% xp bonus for that level, which amounts to slightly less than a single encounter for the group, but is a nice bonus nontheless.

however, updates/changes would need to be told to me in person, because i wouldn't want the one really creative guy in the group making up the backstory for everyone. i'd also reserve the right, if it seems weak, or 'borrowed' from someone else, to decline the xp boost.

your thoughts?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've been doing something like this since 1990 or so.

The reward is usually in the form of an item linked to the PC's background, and once or twice, its been a valuable NPC contact- I rarely give a generic XP boost anymore.

What surprises me is how few gamers actually take advantage of the freebie! Historically, I'm running right around 60%.

I always insist that the background be written- that way I can mine it for plot hooks at my convenience.

And I don't care at all who writes them. If one guy wants to write up everyone's backgrounds, so be it. Who knows, maybe he'll supply a reason why the party is adventuring together, like basing them all on The Five Chinese Brothers. Or they're all escapees from some Illithid thrall-pits. Or whatever.

If its good, I'll accept it.