A slightly different way of rewarding players

[Black Rose]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

*feels a need to point out she's happily married' date=' and has a code of ethics several chapters long*[/quote']

So long as they're ethics (and presumably contemplated) as opposed to morals (and rarely contemplated), I'm cool.

 

And cookies would be a nice reward. So would those slices from a chocolate orange. Mmmm.... orange and chocolate.

[CourtFool]

Seduction vs. Persuasion

 

I think the Reputation was the best suggestion in this particular case, however, I wanted to argue that Seduction would have been the Skill to grant and not Persuasion. At least from the brief explanation given.

 

I believe Seduction is defined as building long(er) term relationships vs. Persuasion's immediately influence.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

So long as they're ethics (and presumably contemplated) as opposed to morals (and rarely contemplated), I'm cool.

 

And cookies would be a nice reward. So would those slices from a chocolate orange. Mmmm.... orange and chocolate.

Yeah, definitely contemplated at length.

 

That's why they're chapters long, instead of mere pages. There's subsection A of clause 10 in rule 1 to account for, and all that.

 

I think the Reputation was the best suggestion in this particular case, however, I wanted to argue that Seduction would have been the Skill to grant and not Persuasion. At least from the brief explanation given.

 

I believe Seduction is defined as building long(er) term relationships vs. Persuasion's immediately influence.

Hmm. Never really thought about it that way. I guess I tend to associate seduction with sex, completely forgetting about the seduction of temptation, and all that.

 

Definitely something to mull over. Thanks!

[Barton]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Rather than give him points in Persuasion' date=' why not give him an 8- contact if he's so busy trying to make them?[/quote']

That is just what I did for a character in my game. I like it as a "bonus".

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

By the way, Alice, I forgot to say so when I first read this thread, but I think what you're doing is a nice idea. I've done that sort of thing myself, often with Contacts, Favors, and such and occasionally Skill bonuses. So you have my full support. (As if you needed my permission or support. )

[Black Rose]

Re: Seduction vs. Persuasion

 

I believe Seduction is defined as building long(er) term relationships vs. Persuasion's immediately influence.

Absolutely. With Persuasion you're basically fast-talking someone; they're with you, but if they get a chance to think about it, you'll probably lose them. Seduction, OTOH, brings another around to your way of thinking; they may later decide what they did was wrong/stupid/whatever, but they know they chose to do it.

 

Note that the above is MPO on the definition of the skills, and YMMV.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Seduction vs. Persuasion

 

I think the Reputation was the best suggestion in this particular case, however, I wanted to argue that Seduction would have been the Skill to grant and not Persuasion. At least from the brief explanation given.

 

I believe Seduction is defined as building long(er) term relationships vs. Persuasion's immediately influence.

 

 

 

.....yep, all night long

 

 

.... I did it again, didn't I?

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Seduction vs. Persuasion

 

 

I'm glad to see I'm having an effect on people . . . ^ v ~

By the way' date=' Alice, I forgot to say so when I first read this thread, but I think what you're doing is a nice idea. I've done that sort of thing myself, often with Contacts, Favors, and such and occasionally Skill bonuses. So you have my full support. (As if you needed my permission or support. )[/quote']

Need? No. Like? Heck, yeah. So thanks. ^ v ^

 

Now, if I were an old, seasoned GM who'd been doing this for years, I might be like, "Don't patronize me." But being a newbie and all, hearing that I'm doing good is muchly appreciated.

[Ura-Maru]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

I thought Seduction was an attempt to manipulate someone, as opposed to Persuasion, which is an attempt to convince them of something.

 

Successful Seduction Check: “God, I want him to @#$!! My &$%#, and then *!! me until morning!â€

 

Successful Persuasion Check: “Well, I do have that 5 pt ‘Lonely’ limitation, and the odds of finding someone better are edging towards 8-. And he does have that familiarity in @#&!! . . .â€

 

In either case, @*&!! Is not necessarily the only think you can convince/manipulate someone into. Though why you’d bother with anything else, I’m not sure.

---

If it isn’t, it should be, dammit. And it should be called ‘Charm’ or ‘Manipulate.’

[zornwil]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

I look at Seduction more as befriending, gaining trust. The end result of it is "I really like/trust you" whereas Persuasion is "I think you're right."

[zornwil]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

By the way' date=' Alice, I forgot to say so when I first read this thread, but I think what you're doing is a nice idea. I've done that sort of thing myself, often with Contacts, Favors, and such and occasionally Skill bonuses. So you have my full support. (As if you [i']needed[/i] my permission or support. )

I'm surprised how much many players like that. I tend to do more straight XP but occasionally, particularly during investigative phases or for repeated actions/interests, I give specific awards.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

The way I see it, I HATE when a game is unbalanced with one character having more points than another, more powers, etc. And I want to encourage flavor and roleplay. So this rewards them for their hard work without unbalancing, and without pissing anyone off.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

I'm surprised how much many players like that. I tend to do more straight XP but occasionally' date=' particularly during investigative phases or for repeated actions/interests, I give specific awards.[/quote']

I think they tend to like it becuase it sort of "validates" them as role-players; (a) it means the GM was paying attention to them as an individual if the GM gives an award that's directly related to something they did in character, and ( it means their role-playing was good enough to warrent more than just general "here's your XP" notice.

 

Whether they'd think that conciously or not I don't know; it's just a guess.

 

That thought is near the top of my mind because I got something like that just a couple of nights ago in a game. This particular game (not HERO-based) is a "Dark Conspiracy" sort of game...there are things in the world that are not human and are monstrous. Most people can't or won't see them as what they really are; once you learn to notice them, they start paying personal attention to you...and that's usually not safe! The group of PCs in this universe is just getting started, and so are still coming to grips that there are "things" out there. We're ordinary people...not superheroes or monster hunters. We're scared.

 

The system we're using (a partial homebrew) uses a system of "fate points" -- one-shot chances to influence die rolls (like getting a +4 to a Skill Check roll you just made). These "fate points" are tracked using poker chips; when you spend one, you toss it onto the table and declare what you're using it for. (The down side to this is that a 'fate point' on the table is there for the GM to use for the benefit of an NPC or monster! So we don't spend them casually...)

 

In this particular game session, the group was split into two teams, each doing some investigation. One the way back to the rendezvous, my character had an uncomfortable thought, and wrestled with himself as to whether or not to bring it up, because he was afraid it could cause inter-party paranoia. He eventually decided he had to bring it up.

 

The upshot was this: one of the party is a non-human (or rather, a half-human / half-something-else). She's benign, if a little "out of touch" with modern society. (She's been locked up in a mental institution for more than a century.) The thing is, she looks perfectly human. That means there are those nonhuman things out there that we can't tell just by looking at them...so how do we know that one of the group isn't a "looks human but is evil"-type entity who will betray us at a critical moment?

 

It was a sobering thought for everyone, and one to which we had no ready answer. Fortunately, it didn't touch off an immediate bout of inter-party paranoia.

 

After discussing this (just before bed!) the characters turned in to get some sleep. The GM then paused, called my name, and when I turned to her, tossed me a "fate point" chip. She also had a nasty smile on her face, but she didn't say anything. I took that as a "good job, glad someone finally realized that as a possibility" reward. It could also, knowing her, have been a "thanks for planting the seeds of paranoia for me; now people won't think it's GM manipulation to get things like that going."

 

In any case, it was a non-XP reward for something I did in character, and that was a tough matter for the character to bring up. It wasn't anything he wanted to bring up, but decided that for the security of the group, the thought had to be voiced.

[Enforcer84]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Do you know, when I read the title of the thread, I really wondered what I was going to find here

 

Lots of good suggestions, not a lot to add really. You might consider a slightly less direct reward too. If, for example either of the star players have a hunted, the next time you roll for the hunter to show up let the first spot some clue that he is lurking around, thus avoiding an ambush, or let the second be warned by one of his new buddies that a stranger was hanging around asking after him. Not a points based thing at all really, but a worthy and appropriate reward nonetheless

Me too. But I was going to use less eloquent speech. Probably using the word "Boobies" or "Nookie" in my querry. You beat me to it.

[prestidigitator]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

I look at Seduction more as befriending' date=' gaining trust. The end result of it is "I really like/trust you" whereas Persuasion is "I think you're right."[/quote']

Persuasion: "Yeah, I guess you might be right."

Seduction: "Hell no. You're absolutely wrong, and you'll probably get us all killed. But I won't hold it against you. Let's go have a beer."

 

[zornwil]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Persuasion: "Yeah, I guess you might be right."

Seduction: "Hell no. You're absolutely wrong, and you'll probably get us all killed. But I won't hold it against you. Let's go have a beer."

 

Perfect, that should be in the book!

[Sean Waters]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Persuasion: "Yeah, I guess you might be right."

Seduction: "Hell no. You're absolutely wrong, and you'll probably get us all killed. But I won't hold it against you. Let's go have a beer."

 

 

Oratory: Oh alright, but for pity's sake put down the megaphone.....

[Dust Raven]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

The way I see it' date=' I HATE when a game is unbalanced with one character having more points than another, more powers, etc. And I want to encourage flavor and roleplay. So this rewards them for their hard work without unbalancing, and without pissing anyone off.[/quote']

 

I agree, and try to do something similar myself. The trouble is making sure everybody gets something. In a group of 6 players, where only 3 are outstanding in the role-play department, it's only fair I find some way of rewarding the other 3. If I'm actually handing out recordable rewards, I might give the guy who gave a great speach (or made a valiant but failed attempt) a +1 to Oratory, the guy who convinced the mayor to grant the team temporary police powers a +1 to Bureaucratics and the gal who went sleepless while researching something a +2 on that particular KS (or the base 11- KS if she didn't already have it). But at the same time, I must make a point to give the guy who won't role-play (always slinks away after a fight to avoid notice, and otherwise hides from social interaction) a +1 CSL to the attack he used most frequently (or to best effect). It's all 2 point no mater how you slice it.

 

But I must confess I don't usually hand out such awards this way. Typically, I'll take notes on what each member of the group does, and grant hidden bonuses that don't show on their character sheets. In the above examples, I might give the speach giver with various bonuses from time to time when in the same element as when he gave his speach, the mayor's friend a bonus when talking to anyone in the mayor's office, and the combat guy a bonus whenever he fights a particular villain again (because he learned something about him in the last fight). I don't announce these to the players, but after a while they figure they an easier time of some things than others, rather than with a particular skill. Doing it this way, I never have to worry about how many points something is worth, and everybody's character sheet has the same XP.

[Sean Waters]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

OK, great speech, have +1 on oratory. Nice bit of legal wrangling, +1 on bureaucratics, excellent research, +2 on AK: telephone boxes....

 

....and you three...hmmmm...cookie?

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Well, the other 2 HAVE had the pleasure of meeting me in real life . . . ^ v ^

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Well' date=' the other 2 HAVE had the pleasure of meeting me in real life . . . ^ v ^[/quote']

So...did you give them cookies?

 

 

 

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Hmmmm . . . I think I've bought them both store-bought cookies. Does that count?

[ghost-angel]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

But I must confess I don't usually hand out such awards this way. Typically' date=' I'll take notes on what each member of the group does, and grant hidden bonuses that don't show on their character sheets. In the above examples, I might give the speach giver with various bonuses from time to time when in the same element as when he gave his speach, the mayor's friend a bonus when talking to anyone in the mayor's office, and the combat guy a bonus whenever he fights a particular villain again (because he learned something about him in the last fight). I don't announce these to the players, but after a while they figure they an easier time of some things than others, rather than with a particular skill. Doing it this way, I never have to worry about how many points something is worth, and everybody's character sheet has the same XP.[/quote']

One way to take care of the intangible bonus award is the correct use of NPCs.

 

Let's say everyone gained a contact, but one character was pivitol in making sure the contact was beneficial or more helpful than they might have otherwise been. Everyone gets the standard Contact for their sheet reflecting the base level - but future interactions lean towards the freindlier player. If they aren't there or don't make the call the Contact will be helpful, but perhaps not overly friendly.

 

The Friendly Character should then later have the option of buying up that contact to either a higher level or to Good Relationship with the XP they get, while the others probably won't.

 

Good RPing doesn't always equate to an immediate boost, perhaps just the option to boost, if the bad RPer nevers engages in conversation how are they going to explain buying up that Persuasion skill? Just using it doesn't always help.

[prestidigitator]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Well' date=' the other 2 HAVE had the pleasure of meeting me in real life . . . ^ v ^[/quote']

Damn it! Now you're going to make us think dirty again, eh?

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: A slightly different way of rewarding players

 

Oh, is that the effect those words had? Sorry 'bout that.