My group have recently finished Storm Kings Thunder and completed a side quest to retrieved the Iron flask containing the Primordial Maegera to the Dwarves of Gauntlgrym. Now im in a bit of a quandry as to what kind of reward I should give them?. The group is level 13. I dont want to heap thousands of GPs on them or magical items or land /titles as they have a reasonable amount of each ( except land and they rove around all the time ). Something that has some potential for more than it is ?.
I had initially thought that some kind of item with a few lesser powers which came with a history that should it be returned/reforged/blessed by X etc and it became something "more" however im 50/50 on this.
Ok, so my sarcastic side wants to say toss out the Hand of Venca and see what happens. Maybe make the next campaign be about finding the Eye of Venca and the Sword of Kas to destroy them.
However, the more practical side of me says that you should consider an Airship. It gives them a home without it being "land", and a means of transportation since they like to rove around. It would also open up the possibility of flying encounters (storms, dragons, giants that live on top of clouds, is that the sun headed right for us - no it's a phoenix!), or as a means of giving them access to upper class NPCs that they would normally have a lot of trouble getting to. You know - the king saw the airship fly in to the city, now he wants to see your party, and maybe go for a ride - kind of thing... Lord knows it could get stolen, and they have to track down where it went, and get it back.
It could origionally be in need of repairs, or a prototype in need of many improvements, draining off some excess player wealth; or generating side quests for raw materials/parts/crew/etc. That would fit with your start with X, and become something more concept. It could have an invisibility cloaking feature that is on the fritz, and sometimes they can't find where they left it...
It would be something cool for your players, and a means of giving you content when you need it. Win-win for the win!
I'm of the opinion that rewards that are useful and tie into the plot is the sweet spot you want to hit, especially for significant achievements like this. A plain old +X weapon is useful, but without anything else attached it just becomes a boring stat. On the other end of the spectrum, a plot of land that the party will just leave behind has a lot of story potential, but won't feel useful to the players and thus will feel like a "waste."
A good melding of the two is an item that can upgrade itself when certain conditions are met, then make those conditions plot hooks to incentivize your players following the plot. Like maybe a forge hammer that can cast Mold Earth, but in places that are attuned to the Elemental Plane of Earth maybe it can dominate Earth Elementals. Or do give them titles and a plot of land, but have it come with perks like minions that will accompany the party and do all the boring stuff like set up camp, act as an emissary to pass messages, and carry stuff in a wagon. Maybe occasionally shoot an enemy with a crossbow from atop that wagon. The first one will incentivize the players to go to that Earth attuned place where your next plot point is (for example) and the second one will take care of all the boring housekeeping stuff while at the same time also reminding players that they are still a part of the world with politics and servants and such.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I recommend you homebrew an item that fits the story. If your story hinges on portal travel, maybe a variety of crystal ball that glows a color for the plane that is being ported to, and a "spark" appears in the crystal ball relative to their location showing the location of the portal on their own plane. You could give them a magical weapon or piece of jewelry that glows when a certain creature type is near, and the glow is brighter depending on the power of the creatures. I would recommend a magical item that fits the campaign, and helps the characters, not just the story.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Ok, so my sarcastic side wants to say toss out the Hand of Venca and see what happens. Maybe make the next campaign be about finding the Eye of Venca and the Sword of Kas to destroy them.
However, the more practical side of me says that you should consider an Airship. It gives them a home without it being "land", and a means of transportation since they like to rove around. It would also open up the possibility of flying encounters (storms, dragons, giants that live on top of clouds, is that the sun headed right for us - no it's a phoenix!), or as a means of giving them access to upper class NPCs that they would normally have a lot of trouble getting to. You know - the king saw the airship fly in to the city, now he wants to see your party, and maybe go for a ride - kind of thing... Lord knows it could get stolen, and they have to track down where it went, and get it back.
It could origionally be in need of repairs, or a prototype in need of many improvements, draining off some excess player wealth; or generating side quests for raw materials/parts/crew/etc. That would fit with your start with X, and become something more concept. It could have an invisibility cloaking feature that is on the fritz, and sometimes they can't find where they left it...
It would be something cool for your players, and a means of giving you content when you need it. Win-win for the win!
If they've been running SKT by the book the players have had an airship for around 5 levels
Ok, so my sarcastic side wants to say toss out the Hand of Venca and see what happens. Maybe make the next campaign be about finding the Eye of Venca and the Sword of Kas to destroy them.
However, the more practical side of me says that you should consider an Airship. It gives them a home without it being "land", and a means of transportation since they like to rove around. It would also open up the possibility of flying encounters (storms, dragons, giants that live on top of clouds, is that the sun headed right for us - no it's a phoenix!), or as a means of giving them access to upper class NPCs that they would normally have a lot of trouble getting to. You know - the king saw the airship fly in to the city, now he wants to see your party, and maybe go for a ride - kind of thing... Lord knows it could get stolen, and they have to track down where it went, and get it back.
It could origionally be in need of repairs, or a prototype in need of many improvements, draining off some excess player wealth; or generating side quests for raw materials/parts/crew/etc. That would fit with your start with X, and become something more concept. It could have an invisibility cloaking feature that is on the fritz, and sometimes they can't find where they left it...
It would be something cool for your players, and a means of giving you content when you need it. Win-win for the win!
If they've been running SKT by the book the players have had an airship for around 5 levels
Oh, well, fair enough. The two groups that I play in never do the pre-canned adventures. It is all home-brew stuff. Live and learn.
They have had access but not ownership. At the moment the people who own the Airship are at cross purposes because the group didn't fulfil things as would be deemed beneficial or along the lines the Crews "Liege" shall we say , would be happy with. For those who know the SKT will know what im meaning.
My group have recently finished Storm Kings Thunder and completed a side quest to retrieved the Iron flask containing the Primordial Maegera to the Dwarves of Gauntlgrym. Now im in a bit of a quandry as to what kind of reward I should give them?. The group is level 13. I dont want to heap thousands of GPs on them or magical items or land /titles as they have a reasonable amount of each ( except land and they rove around all the time ). Something that has some potential for more than it is ?.
I had initially thought that some kind of item with a few lesser powers which came with a history that should it be returned/reforged/blessed by X etc and it became something "more" however im 50/50 on this.
Thoughts & suggestion?.
Surely the most appropriate rewards are adamantine armor, weapons, and ammunition for any who want them, since they just helped ensure the dwarves can forge adamantine, and to let them keep the iron flask.
Hi all ,,,
My group have recently finished Storm Kings Thunder and completed a side quest to retrieved the Iron flask containing the Primordial Maegera to the Dwarves of Gauntlgrym.
Now im in a bit of a quandry as to what kind of reward I should give them?.
The group is level 13.
I dont want to heap thousands of GPs on them or magical items or land /titles as they have a reasonable amount of each ( except land and they rove around all the time ).
Something that has some potential for more than it is ?.
I had initially thought that some kind of item with a few lesser powers which came with a history that should it be returned/reforged/blessed by X etc and it became something "more" however im 50/50 on this.
Thoughts & suggestion?.
Ok, so my sarcastic side wants to say toss out the Hand of Venca and see what happens. Maybe make the next campaign be about finding the Eye of Venca and the Sword of Kas to destroy them.
However, the more practical side of me says that you should consider an Airship. It gives them a home without it being "land", and a means of transportation since they like to rove around. It would also open up the possibility of flying encounters (storms, dragons, giants that live on top of clouds, is that the sun headed right for us - no it's a phoenix!), or as a means of giving them access to upper class NPCs that they would normally have a lot of trouble getting to. You know - the king saw the airship fly in to the city, now he wants to see your party, and maybe go for a ride - kind of thing... Lord knows it could get stolen, and they have to track down where it went, and get it back.
It could origionally be in need of repairs, or a prototype in need of many improvements, draining off some excess player wealth; or generating side quests for raw materials/parts/crew/etc. That would fit with your start with X, and become something more concept. It could have an invisibility cloaking feature that is on the fritz, and sometimes they can't find where they left it...
It would be something cool for your players, and a means of giving you content when you need it. Win-win for the win!
I'm of the opinion that rewards that are useful and tie into the plot is the sweet spot you want to hit, especially for significant achievements like this. A plain old +X weapon is useful, but without anything else attached it just becomes a boring stat. On the other end of the spectrum, a plot of land that the party will just leave behind has a lot of story potential, but won't feel useful to the players and thus will feel like a "waste."
A good melding of the two is an item that can upgrade itself when certain conditions are met, then make those conditions plot hooks to incentivize your players following the plot. Like maybe a forge hammer that can cast Mold Earth, but in places that are attuned to the Elemental Plane of Earth maybe it can dominate Earth Elementals. Or do give them titles and a plot of land, but have it come with perks like minions that will accompany the party and do all the boring stuff like set up camp, act as an emissary to pass messages, and carry stuff in a wagon. Maybe occasionally shoot an enemy with a crossbow from atop that wagon. The first one will incentivize the players to go to that Earth attuned place where your next plot point is (for example) and the second one will take care of all the boring housekeeping stuff while at the same time also reminding players that they are still a part of the world with politics and servants and such.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I recommend you homebrew an item that fits the story. If your story hinges on portal travel, maybe a variety of crystal ball that glows a color for the plane that is being ported to, and a "spark" appears in the crystal ball relative to their location showing the location of the portal on their own plane. You could give them a magical weapon or piece of jewelry that glows when a certain creature type is near, and the glow is brighter depending on the power of the creatures. I would recommend a magical item that fits the campaign, and helps the characters, not just the story.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
If they've been running SKT by the book the players have had an airship for around 5 levels
Oh, well, fair enough. The two groups that I play in never do the pre-canned adventures. It is all home-brew stuff. Live and learn.
They have had access but not ownership.
At the moment the people who own the Airship are at cross purposes because the group didn't fulfil things as would be deemed beneficial or along the lines the Crews "Liege" shall we say , would be happy with.
For those who know the SKT will know what im meaning.
:)
Thanks for the replys ,,
Its given me food for thought and possible avenues to pursue.
Surely the most appropriate rewards are adamantine armor, weapons, and ammunition for any who want them, since they just helped ensure the dwarves can forge adamantine, and to let them keep the iron flask.
Thats not a bad shout actually.
Armour wouldnt be upgrades or weapons but something made with Adamantite would be appropriate.