I was just curious on any ideas any other players/DM have on rewarding creative play. The game I'm running at the moment doesn't use xp, so bonus xp is kind of out the window, and that seems to be the go to option in most scenarios. I realize just humoring them can be it's own reward sometimes, but I just wanted some thoughts on more tangible, for lack of a better term, rewards.
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So you are telling me that a giant monkey can beat the KING OF MONSTERS!? Do you want me to hate you?
Well you can always give the players who do exceedingly well a point of Inspiration. Giving the players the ability to re-roll that 1 on the saving trow against a dragon makes the players want to work extra hard to do well. I often wont make the players roll certain saves or Charisma checks if they roll-play very well.
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Hell yeah I am going to Polymorph the boss into a Rabbit. I have always wanted a being a pure evil stuffed into a ball of fluff.
Well you can always give the players who do exceedingly well a point of Inspiration. Giving the players the ability to re-roll that 1 on the saving trow against a dragon makes the players want to work extra hard to do well. I often wont make the players roll certain saves or Charisma checks if they roll-play very well.
That's really good advice.
Additionally you can possibly create a minor item that the player can use? It could be an odd item that you homebrew, like a wand that shoots out sparks like a roman candle a few times, not necessarily something that would aid the player in any conventional sense but if they are being rewarded for thinking creatively they'll find creative ways to use it. Never done this, but it's an idea.
Praise. It's not quite as 'tangible' as you requested but I felt it was worth a mention, if not for you then for other DMs reading this.
"Gosh darn, that was awesome the way you used your x to trick the y."
Make a player feel good if they do something fun and creative. I would then hope, in the long run, they may see the fun that creative options provide and begin to naturally gravitate toward them.
As everyone has said, inspiration, some bonus loot, and verbal praise all can go a long way.
Though never overlook the value of semi-tastefully done negative conditioning! Throw them against increasingly tough battles with increasingly obvious environmental opportunities to make the fight much simpler till they learn to start thinking outside the box. If they blow off your NPC that approached them in town and ruined its story arc, change their backstory so that they may have had some sort of beef to settle with the party and were hoping to do it peacefully, but after getting the cold shoulder they decide to instead simply make the party's life miserable somehow.
Personally, I would advise against "extra loot", for various reasons. It feels like it would be difficult to make the distinction of when the loot was intended as an adventure result and when it was intended as a "roleplaying" result, and if you state so openly, it may open other cans of worms (such as arguments about your judgment). Moreover, over the course of a campaign, you may find yourself looking at very disparate equipment loadouts for the characters. Anything that can be eventually used to classify "good RPers" from "not-so-good RPers" is a serious problem in my book.
I'd opt for an "in the moment" type of reward. The Inspiration system the PHB utilizes is along those lines, although I find that it has a couple of shortcomings: you cannot hold more than one attempt, which always has that baggage of "should I use it now or keep it for something really serious down the line?", and it grants advantage, which means both that it is useless when you already have advantage, and that you cannot utilize it after you see your roll (although the latter isn't relevant to my point).
Perhaps try a simple house rule? Something like "if you describe what you do well, you get a bonus to your roll." And have that bonus be a static +2 or a d4 for any kind of description beyond "I attack", and a d6 for things that resonate with the character, the situation or the player group. It may need a little balancing, and it's obviously more geared towards heroic games than gritty ones, but I've found that it works well enough, and really motivates people.
Bonus: You will see truly inspired descriptions when the situation warrants it. It's a nice contrast to see the brightest efforts when despair creeps around the party. "Our cleric is down and the lich is controlling our fighter with that amulet? I need a 17 to even hit it? Let's see what I can do about this..."
Perhaps try a simple house rule? Something like "if you describe what you do well, you get a bonus to your roll." And have that bonus be a static +2 or a d4 for any kind of description beyond "I attack", and a d6 for things that resonate with the character, the situation or the player group. It may need a little balancing, and it's obviously more geared towards heroic games than gritty ones, but I've found that it works well enough, and really motivates people.
That's a really good idea. You can do a lot with that and you can have a fair amount of control over it. People will possibly argue over whether they should get more or not (because that's how it goes for most things), but that could be a very useful incentive.
I incorporate NPCs in various stages later in the adventure telling stories about the PCs in the bar like " Did you hear how so and so defeated the whatchamathing!? He dropped a chandelier on it! and rode the counter weight to safety!" In order to accommodate these types of things you have to present scenarios in a way that they can find multiple solutions. Also, I have in the past, especially low level adventurers presented a case where they could not get through a guarded door with out a deadly fight, this encourages them to sneak through a cellar, unlock a window or lure the guards away. Not every scenario should be a fight, if there is a deadly fight present the opportunity for escape or even imprisonment. I had a really good 1st adventure for a new group where one of them was arrested (after failing a heist) and the culmination of that session was a prison heist where they used all the tools and wit they had.
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“The harder the world, the fiercer the honour.” ― Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice
One thing that was done is the player who kills the monster.. You ask them How did you do the final blow. It's amazing some of the things people comeup with when you put a light on them and tell them to shine.
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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
Agreed with the inspiration points, however I would also encourage the players to be creative with how they imagine the environment themselves.
For example a fight breaks out in a town a player might typically say "I attack the bandit with my sword".
What she could say is:
"I sprint in the direction of the bandit using the nearby food cart as a springboard, reaching up to grab the hanging bunting from the parade and use it to swing myself down and use the momentum to thrust my sword into his side!".
For this I would give the player advantage on the attack whilst not having to force them to make skill rolls for the acrobatics.
This could be used in a lot of different ways.
eg. For a Cleric fighting on a stairway.
"I let out a bellow for my god, then place my shield on the banister, whilst sliding down I will hack at the skeletons legs with my mace crunching their bones, in a bid to stop it from reaching the landing upstairs"
I've seen players discouraged from attempting anything unique or flavorful because their attempts were bogged down by unnecessary mechanics.
When a player describes something cool, try to keep additional mechanics to an absolute minimum. Would it have changed the character's movement result if he had just gone "I move here"? Would it have changed the type of damage if he had said "I attack"? Would it have changed the ability needed if he had claimed "I bash it down"?
If not, let the flourish go without complications. I always try to err to the side of the players when the action does warrant a change in mechanics.
This is what I have been doing. If my players do something creative or commit an act of good RP. I award them an Inspiration point. The Trouble I had was that Often my players had Inspiration and I still wanted to inspire them. After some thinking, I decided to do the following.
If the player has no Inspiration. I reward them with an Inspiration point. If the player has a point of Inspiration I award them a "GM Inspiration". "GM" inspiration dice is not a D20 with advantage. It is treated like a Bardic Inspiration dice. It can be used at any time to add to a D20 roll.
The GM Inspiration Die is a D4. If they floor me twice. I'll take the D4 Back and swap them a D6 and so on.
Once used it is gone it's only useable for one roll. And if they earn another it starts back at a D4. Lastly GM inspiration dice go away at the end of a session. USE EM OR LOSE EM!
While everyone had good ideas here, I find it best to let them approach it naturally. Most new players (and even some old hats) just want to roll dice, and that's okay.
My only hint is to present them with available options when describing environment features and just hope that they choose to use it.
Make sure to point out the glass chandelier above. Describe the crackling of the fire in the braziers. Too many times I've heard people start off describing what the person in the room is doing and then combat ensues without fully describing the room. Advanced players might notice the fireplace token you've put in the room and ask if it's lit, but those with less experience (or desire) roleplaying won't. Describe the room first and/or use the features to describe the enemies: instead of "the room is 20 feet by 30 feet, there are four guards in the center of the room..." you can say "warming themselves at the fire in the brazier in the center of the room are four guards" or "four guards sit at a table the center of the room playing dice by the light of the metal chandelier suspended above".
I'm assuming you immediately noticed the things I took the time to describe. You as a DM are probably thinking "I can knock one of those guards into the brazier. Or knock it over and hope do inflict some damage on the guards" or "I could throw the table and use it as cover, or perhaps make the chandelier fall on the guards. Maybe I can talk my way out of this encounter, using their gambling as a sign that they would be up for a game of chance or a bribe?"
Your players are similarly trained to take notice of subtle hints. You've probably noticed that if you describe portraits on the walls of a hallway, your players will assume a trap of some sort or someone spying on them from the other side of the portrait. If you describe a rug in the center of the room, they will take notice and expect a pit trap or hidden pressure plate. Most players are naturally inclined to play defensively, and so will notice any clues of traps (especially if they've failed to do so previously). You just have to condition them to also notice the RP hints you drop. Maybe make the enemies (or friendly NPCs) exploit these things first. Then they'll be impressed (or afraid of it happening to them, especially if it's really effective the first time) and might take the next cue themselves.
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
A standing house-rule at my table is that Inspiration is for good play and good RP and fun and creativity... and if you get Inspiration and already HAVE one, it turns into XP (changes as levels go up, but at even 1st level it's 10xp).
Overtime, my players go big, fail big, succeed big, try things, do what seems interesting instead of what's just optimal, they play brightly... and it's all good.
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This is what I have been doing. If my players do something creative or commit an act of good RP. I award them an Inspiration point. The Trouble I had was that Often my players had Inspiration and I still wanted to inspire them. After some thinking, I decided to do the following.
If the player has no Inspiration. I reward them with an Inspiration point. If the player has a point of Inspiration I award them a "GM Inspiration". "GM" inspiration dice is not a D20 with advantage. It is treated like a Bardic Inspiration dice. It can be used at any time to add to a D20 roll. The GM Inspiration Die is a D4. If they floor me twice. I'll take the D4 Back and swap them a D6 and so on. Once used it is gone it's only useable for one roll. And if they earn another it starts back at a D4. Lastly GM inspiration dice go away at the end of a session.
Hey I really like the GM Inspiration scaling mechanic, I think i'll use that! Thanks!
That's a great question and I think the answer is, "it depends". Let me elaborate, as you probably already know different people come to the table with different expectations and during the game you should try to give everyone something they enjoy, like storytelling, dice rolling, combat, social interaction opportunities, etc.
I find myself leaning more towards the storytelling side and to encourage this kind of play I do a few things:
- I increased the maximum number of inspirations to 2.
- Don't hoard the inspirations! Keep them flowing (in character play, jokes, etc are all good opportunities). Also, they expire at the end of the session.
- Have the players narrate the description of their actions in combat or even the whole round. Shoot for big cinematic action.
- Use "Hero Points". The DMG describe a few ways to implement this concept but I do something closer to the "Action Points" from the Eberron setting mixed with some Star Wars RPG: everyone rolls "light side" or "dark side" points to form a pool at the beginning of the session. This pool can be used to add 1d6 to any d20 roll or to add a detail or NPC to the scene. After using them, they turn into the opposite type giving me (the DM) or anyone at the table a mechanic to add complications to the situation. My only rule is that I want a cool cinematic justification.
- Use "Hero Points". The DMG describe a few ways to implement this concept but I do something closer to the "Action Points" from the Eberron setting mixed with some Star Wars RPG: everyone rolls "light side" or "dark side" points to form a pool at the beginning of the session. This pool can be used to add 1d6 to any d20 roll or to add a detail or NPC to the scene. After using them, they turn into the opposite type giving me (the DM) or anyone at the table a mechanic to add complications to the situation. My only rule is that I want a cool cinematic justification.
I hope you find this post useful. Have fun!
I hadn't tought about using the Star Wars RPG light/dark points, but I LOVE that idea! We play online so it might be a bit awkward to incorporate, but I will make a way lol.
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So you are telling me that a giant monkey can beat the KING OF MONSTERS!? Do you want me to hate you?
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I was just curious on any ideas any other players/DM have on rewarding creative play. The game I'm running at the moment doesn't use xp, so bonus xp is kind of out the window, and that seems to be the go to option in most scenarios. I realize just humoring them can be it's own reward sometimes, but I just wanted some thoughts on more tangible, for lack of a better term, rewards.
So you are telling me that a giant monkey can beat the KING OF MONSTERS!? Do you want me to hate you?
Well you can always give the players who do exceedingly well a point of Inspiration. Giving the players the ability to re-roll that 1 on the saving trow against a dragon makes the players want to work extra hard to do well. I often wont make the players roll certain saves or Charisma checks if they roll-play very well.
Hell yeah I am going to Polymorph the boss into a Rabbit. I have always wanted a being a pure evil stuffed into a ball of fluff.
How do you want to do this?
Praise. It's not quite as 'tangible' as you requested but I felt it was worth a mention, if not for you then for other DMs reading this.
"Gosh darn, that was awesome the way you used your x to trick the y."
Make a player feel good if they do something fun and creative. I would then hope, in the long run, they may see the fun that creative options provide and begin to naturally gravitate toward them.
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As everyone has said, inspiration, some bonus loot, and verbal praise all can go a long way.
Though never overlook the value of semi-tastefully done negative conditioning! Throw them against increasingly tough battles with increasingly obvious environmental opportunities to make the fight much simpler till they learn to start thinking outside the box. If they blow off your NPC that approached them in town and ruined its story arc, change their backstory so that they may have had some sort of beef to settle with the party and were hoping to do it peacefully, but after getting the cold shoulder they decide to instead simply make the party's life miserable somehow.
Make them describing things.
Personally, I would advise against "extra loot", for various reasons. It feels like it would be difficult to make the distinction of when the loot was intended as an adventure result and when it was intended as a "roleplaying" result, and if you state so openly, it may open other cans of worms (such as arguments about your judgment). Moreover, over the course of a campaign, you may find yourself looking at very disparate equipment loadouts for the characters. Anything that can be eventually used to classify "good RPers" from "not-so-good RPers" is a serious problem in my book.
I'd opt for an "in the moment" type of reward. The Inspiration system the PHB utilizes is along those lines, although I find that it has a couple of shortcomings: you cannot hold more than one attempt, which always has that baggage of "should I use it now or keep it for something really serious down the line?", and it grants advantage, which means both that it is useless when you already have advantage, and that you cannot utilize it after you see your roll (although the latter isn't relevant to my point).
Perhaps try a simple house rule? Something like "if you describe what you do well, you get a bonus to your roll." And have that bonus be a static +2 or a d4 for any kind of description beyond "I attack", and a d6 for things that resonate with the character, the situation or the player group. It may need a little balancing, and it's obviously more geared towards heroic games than gritty ones, but I've found that it works well enough, and really motivates people.
Bonus: You will see truly inspired descriptions when the situation warrants it. It's a nice contrast to see the brightest efforts when despair creeps around the party. "Our cleric is down and the lich is controlling our fighter with that amulet? I need a 17 to even hit it? Let's see what I can do about this..."
How do you want to do this?
I incorporate NPCs in various stages later in the adventure telling stories about the PCs in the bar like " Did you hear how so and so defeated the whatchamathing!? He dropped a chandelier on it! and rode the counter weight to safety!" In order to accommodate these types of things you have to present scenarios in a way that they can find multiple solutions. Also, I have in the past, especially low level adventurers presented a case where they could not get through a guarded door with out a deadly fight, this encourages them to sneak through a cellar, unlock a window or lure the guards away. Not every scenario should be a fight, if there is a deadly fight present the opportunity for escape or even imprisonment. I had a really good 1st adventure for a new group where one of them was arrested (after failing a heist) and the culmination of that session was a prison heist where they used all the tools and wit they had.
― Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice
One thing that was done is the player who kills the monster.. You ask them How did you do the final blow. It's amazing some of the things people comeup with when you put a light on them and tell them to shine.
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
Agreed with the inspiration points, however I would also encourage the players to be creative with how they imagine the environment themselves.
For example a fight breaks out in a town a player might typically say "I attack the bandit with my sword".
What she could say is:
"I sprint in the direction of the bandit using the nearby food cart as a springboard, reaching up to grab the hanging bunting from the parade and use it to swing myself down and use the momentum to thrust my sword into his side!".
For this I would give the player advantage on the attack whilst not having to force them to make skill rolls for the acrobatics.
This could be used in a lot of different ways.
eg. For a Cleric fighting on a stairway.
"I let out a bellow for my god, then place my shield on the banister, whilst sliding down I will hack at the skeletons legs with my mace crunching their bones, in a bid to stop it from reaching the landing upstairs"
The above is important.
I've seen players discouraged from attempting anything unique or flavorful because their attempts were bogged down by unnecessary mechanics.
When a player describes something cool, try to keep additional mechanics to an absolute minimum. Would it have changed the character's movement result if he had just gone "I move here"? Would it have changed the type of damage if he had said "I attack"? Would it have changed the ability needed if he had claimed "I bash it down"?
If not, let the flourish go without complications. I always try to err to the side of the players when the action does warrant a change in mechanics.
This is what I have been doing. If my players do something creative or commit an act of good RP. I award them an Inspiration point. The Trouble I had was that Often my players had Inspiration and I still wanted to inspire them. After some thinking, I decided to do the following.
If the player has no Inspiration. I reward them with an Inspiration point.
If the player has a point of Inspiration I award them a "GM Inspiration".
"GM" inspiration dice is not a D20 with advantage. It is treated like a Bardic Inspiration dice. It can be used at any time to add to a D20 roll.
The GM Inspiration Die is a D4.
If they floor me twice. I'll take the D4 Back and swap them a D6 and so on.
Once used it is gone it's only useable for one roll. And if they earn another it starts back at a D4.
Lastly GM inspiration dice go away at the end of a session. USE EM OR LOSE EM!
Thanks for all the tips! I'll definitely being using these ideas in our next session.
So you are telling me that a giant monkey can beat the KING OF MONSTERS!? Do you want me to hate you?
While everyone had good ideas here, I find it best to let them approach it naturally. Most new players (and even some old hats) just want to roll dice, and that's okay.
My only hint is to present them with available options when describing environment features and just hope that they choose to use it.
Make sure to point out the glass chandelier above. Describe the crackling of the fire in the braziers. Too many times I've heard people start off describing what the person in the room is doing and then combat ensues without fully describing the room. Advanced players might notice the fireplace token you've put in the room and ask if it's lit, but those with less experience (or desire) roleplaying won't. Describe the room first and/or use the features to describe the enemies: instead of "the room is 20 feet by 30 feet, there are four guards in the center of the room..." you can say "warming themselves at the fire in the brazier in the center of the room are four guards" or "four guards sit at a table the center of the room playing dice by the light of the metal chandelier suspended above".
I'm assuming you immediately noticed the things I took the time to describe. You as a DM are probably thinking "I can knock one of those guards into the brazier. Or knock it over and hope do inflict some damage on the guards" or "I could throw the table and use it as cover, or perhaps make the chandelier fall on the guards. Maybe I can talk my way out of this encounter, using their gambling as a sign that they would be up for a game of chance or a bribe?"
Your players are similarly trained to take notice of subtle hints. You've probably noticed that if you describe portraits on the walls of a hallway, your players will assume a trap of some sort or someone spying on them from the other side of the portrait. If you describe a rug in the center of the room, they will take notice and expect a pit trap or hidden pressure plate. Most players are naturally inclined to play defensively, and so will notice any clues of traps (especially if they've failed to do so previously). You just have to condition them to also notice the RP hints you drop. Maybe make the enemies (or friendly NPCs) exploit these things first. Then they'll be impressed (or afraid of it happening to them, especially if it's really effective the first time) and might take the next cue themselves.
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“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
A standing house-rule at my table is that Inspiration is for good play and good RP and fun and creativity... and if you get Inspiration and already HAVE one, it turns into XP (changes as levels go up, but at even 1st level it's 10xp).
Overtime, my players go big, fail big, succeed big, try things, do what seems interesting instead of what's just optimal, they play brightly... and it's all good.
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Hey I really like the GM Inspiration scaling mechanic, I think i'll use that! Thanks!
― Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice
That's a great question and I think the answer is, "it depends". Let me elaborate, as you probably already know different people come to the table with different expectations and during the game you should try to give everyone something they enjoy, like storytelling, dice rolling, combat, social interaction opportunities, etc.
I find myself leaning more towards the storytelling side and to encourage this kind of play I do a few things:
- I increased the maximum number of inspirations to 2.
- Don't hoard the inspirations! Keep them flowing (in character play, jokes, etc are all good opportunities). Also, they expire at the end of the session.
- Have the players narrate the description of their actions in combat or even the whole round. Shoot for big cinematic action.
- Use "Hero Points". The DMG describe a few ways to implement this concept but I do something closer to the "Action Points" from the Eberron setting mixed with some Star Wars RPG: everyone rolls "light side" or "dark side" points to form a pool at the beginning of the session. This pool can be used to add 1d6 to any d20 roll or to add a detail or NPC to the scene. After using them, they turn into the opposite type giving me (the DM) or anyone at the table a mechanic to add complications to the situation. My only rule is that I want a cool cinematic justification.
I hope you find this post useful. Have fun!
So you are telling me that a giant monkey can beat the KING OF MONSTERS!? Do you want me to hate you?