I've got a group of five adult regulars starting Strahd in a week. Players have low/mid experience. Two of the more experienced players have been in campaigns before and like me, played D&D a bunch when they were kids (and rediscovered the game with the goddamn pandemic); two of the players are okay familiar with rpg's, but their experience mostly comes from our Lost Mines game which just recently wrapped. One has no prior experience, bless her, this'll be her first game.
How do you treat inspiration?
To this point, inspiration's been a group decision. At the end of a session, we discuss the night's highlights, what we liked, what worked, and then assign inspiration points which offer a re-roll in the next session. Three points are given out - two by way of the players' consensus, one by DM's choice, as a way to encourage role playing, risk taking, outside the box thinking. Problem is, as one of my players put it, "we goddamn keep forgetting we have the stupid things". Inspiration points are meant to be a carrot to inspire good play; if the prize is negligible, there's less incentive to try.
Here's my proposed change:
Turn inspiration into an immediate, point-in-time effect. Do a good job roleplaying a scene, get an extra d4, d6, advantage on your persuasion roll. Or save. Or whatever. Point in time so that there's nothing active and ticking, nothing you need to remember that you have in a week's time. Immediate bonus for good gamesmanship. But along with the inspiration points, have the Hero Points, awarded to the three MVP's of the game, two selected by the players, one by the DM. After X number of points, there's a bonus in the form of gold, magic item, who knows, and after 10 points, something major like a free feat/A.S.I., not in a "race to the bonus" sort of thing, but as a wider opportunity that all of the players could potentially reach. Two very different kinds of carrots to encourage good play.
Anyone done this before? Thoughts? Opinions? Experiences? All appreciated.
Sorry for the necro - and that it took 4 years for someone to reply!
I give every player a Luck Point for showing up on time to the game. that has worked wonders for me, let me tell you! (They also get a second point, on/close to their birthday.) A luck point can be spent before a roll to get "super advantage" - roll *three* d20s and pick best - OR it can be spent after the roll to add 1d6 to the roll.
I make a point of emphasizing brutal attacks, and when it looks like an attack or save has missed by 1 or 2 points. Sometimes this still means Luck doesn't get used, if someone just plain rolls well or doesn't get into a rolling situation in a session. And that's okay. (I no longer allow them to stack, it's use-it-or-lose-it. Too many boss fights ruined by whipping out stored Luck!) One player tends to use his Luck Point on super advantage for a clutch save or sneak attack; the others almost always use theirs to "tweak" a die roll to confirm a hit or a save.
Your idea of storing up Points to trade in later is a completely different idea to die-roll modification. I'm not sure that I like it, as I award the "cash & prizes" (magic items) intentionally. Also I like the feeling of Fate bending luck (die rolls) to the benefit of heroes (roleplayers, punsters) vs. The System (litRPG) manufacturing a +2 shield on the spot because Grog roleplayed being afraid of spiders 10 times.
Having said that, giving the players a boost immediately to a skill check that they roleplayed or really thought out.... DO THAT ANYWAY! :-) Or, depending on the situation, just give them the win. Last session the druid sent a familiar out into the winter landscape to find Juniper or Holly berries, for a goodberry spell; I gave her Advantage on the "Survival" check for thinking creatively (still leaving the question of "are there any of those around" ultimately up to the dice). In a previous session, the party was climbing a unique set of stairs (details unimportant) that was forcing Athletics and "fatigue" checks. The changeling shifted her form to better accommodate the peculiarities of the race who made the stairs - so I removed her need for the Athletics checks entirely! The warrior and warlock stopped, conferred, and then the warlock cast fly on the warrior, who used his Climbing Gear and feat of Athletics to string a set of rope guidelines; everyone else got to add a d6 to both their rolls from then on. (And the Bard player does a fabulous job of roleplaying his Persuasion and Performance checks - often using his magic in creative supportig ways - so he is frequently getting Advantage or +2 to his checks.)
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Hey all,
I've got a group of five adult regulars starting Strahd in a week. Players have low/mid experience. Two of the more experienced players have been in campaigns before and like me, played D&D a bunch when they were kids (and rediscovered the game with the goddamn pandemic); two of the players are okay familiar with rpg's, but their experience mostly comes from our Lost Mines game which just recently wrapped. One has no prior experience, bless her, this'll be her first game.
How do you treat inspiration?
To this point, inspiration's been a group decision. At the end of a session, we discuss the night's highlights, what we liked, what worked, and then assign inspiration points which offer a re-roll in the next session. Three points are given out - two by way of the players' consensus, one by DM's choice, as a way to encourage role playing, risk taking, outside the box thinking. Problem is, as one of my players put it, "we goddamn keep forgetting we have the stupid things". Inspiration points are meant to be a carrot to inspire good play; if the prize is negligible, there's less incentive to try.
Here's my proposed change:
Turn inspiration into an immediate, point-in-time effect. Do a good job roleplaying a scene, get an extra d4, d6, advantage on your persuasion roll. Or save. Or whatever. Point in time so that there's nothing active and ticking, nothing you need to remember that you have in a week's time. Immediate bonus for good gamesmanship. But along with the inspiration points, have the Hero Points, awarded to the three MVP's of the game, two selected by the players, one by the DM. After X number of points, there's a bonus in the form of gold, magic item, who knows, and after 10 points, something major like a free feat/A.S.I., not in a "race to the bonus" sort of thing, but as a wider opportunity that all of the players could potentially reach. Two very different kinds of carrots to encourage good play.
Anyone done this before? Thoughts? Opinions? Experiences? All appreciated.
Anyone
Sorry for the necro - and that it took 4 years for someone to reply!
I give every player a Luck Point for showing up on time to the game. that has worked wonders for me, let me tell you! (They also get a second point, on/close to their birthday.) A luck point can be spent before a roll to get "super advantage" - roll *three* d20s and pick best - OR it can be spent after the roll to add 1d6 to the roll.
I make a point of emphasizing brutal attacks, and when it looks like an attack or save has missed by 1 or 2 points. Sometimes this still means Luck doesn't get used, if someone just plain rolls well or doesn't get into a rolling situation in a session. And that's okay. (I no longer allow them to stack, it's use-it-or-lose-it. Too many boss fights ruined by whipping out stored Luck!) One player tends to use his Luck Point on super advantage for a clutch save or sneak attack; the others almost always use theirs to "tweak" a die roll to confirm a hit or a save.
Your idea of storing up Points to trade in later is a completely different idea to die-roll modification. I'm not sure that I like it, as I award the "cash & prizes" (magic items) intentionally. Also I like the feeling of Fate bending luck (die rolls) to the benefit of heroes (roleplayers, punsters) vs. The System (litRPG) manufacturing a +2 shield on the spot because Grog roleplayed being afraid of spiders 10 times.
Having said that, giving the players a boost immediately to a skill check that they roleplayed or really thought out.... DO THAT ANYWAY! :-) Or, depending on the situation, just give them the win. Last session the druid sent a familiar out into the winter landscape to find Juniper or Holly berries, for a goodberry spell; I gave her Advantage on the "Survival" check for thinking creatively (still leaving the question of "are there any of those around" ultimately up to the dice). In a previous session, the party was climbing a unique set of stairs (details unimportant) that was forcing Athletics and "fatigue" checks. The changeling shifted her form to better accommodate the peculiarities of the race who made the stairs - so I removed her need for the Athletics checks entirely! The warrior and warlock stopped, conferred, and then the warlock cast fly on the warrior, who used his Climbing Gear and feat of Athletics to string a set of rope guidelines; everyone else got to add a d6 to both their rolls from then on. (And the Bard player does a fabulous job of roleplaying his Persuasion and Performance checks - often using his magic in creative supportig ways - so he is frequently getting Advantage or +2 to his checks.)