Background Story Rewards

[Laundry Knight]

I am slowly trying to develop my own campaign, and as someone who is more interested in the story than the mechanics, I am wanting to offer bonuses for players who can come up with good, cohesive backgrounds and am willing to pony of the dough, as it were, to reward them for good backgrounds. I was thinking that if a player had a good background, but fell a little short of some points for making the character that I would spot a few points, and I have considered giving free bonuses to skills, contacts, favors, and reputation, also.

 

Does anyone else practice this way? If so, how well does it work, and what guidelines do you employ?

[Escafarc]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

I don't do it myself. It depends on your group you don't want to foster any resentment in those players who don't get the extra points.

[Christopher]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

One important question is the playstyle:

Face to Face, Chatbased or Play by Post?

 

F2F tends to be less suited for this.

 

Things are much easier for Play by Post.

In fact since play by post can have long lag times, I would even go a step farther:

Allowing players to write and post small stories and getting XP for them (ideally used for teh skills or contacts shown/aquired in the story). These may be background stories or "off screen adventures" (if your game has enough downtime to allow this), or small cooperative stories (two or more PC's going to a date).

 

In either case it should not be too much (not more than 5-10% of total points) and one player should always able to get if he doesn't has something at adventure start.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

I don't do it myself. It depends on your group you don't want to foster any resentment in those players who don't get the extra points.

 

Perhaps those players should grow up?

 

 

Regardless- I do it, it's always worked extremely well (hell, by the end of it I think they usually care less about the extra points and more about their character's backstory, which is great). In a heroic level game, I offer 5 pts for a 1 page background, with MAYBE another point for going beyond that. That usually didn't come up, so I have to think about it. With the transition to 6th, I'd probably up that to 10 pts to reflect the inflation of CP.

 

I also offer another 5 points for a decent quality character image.

 

Rough guidelines, to be sure.

[Escafarc]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Perhaps those players should grow up?

 

 

Let me guess, you're one of those that forgets that the G in RPG stands for game. That implies that all players start on an even playing field.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Let me guess' date=' you're one of those that forgets that the G in RPG stands for game. That implies that all players start on an even playing field.[/quote']

 

I'm with Manic Typist on this. If something like this is a cause for resentment, then your resentful butt-hurt players are the ones forgetting that it's a game.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Let me guess' date=' you're one of those that forgets that the G in RPG stands for game. That implies that all players start on an even playing field.[/quote']

 

Actually, I'm one of those that remembers that G stands for game, which means:

1) Chill out, it's a game.

2) There is no implication whatsoever that things start on an even playing field. The only implication is that, whatever the field, it should be designed for fun. I recently played Arkham Horror for the first time. That game is not premised upon a level playing field- the opposite in fact. The game hates you, and wants to kill you. I had a blast, since I was warned about that upfront (also, we did win- by having one our companions make the ultimate sacrifice in the Dreamworld).

 

Are you one of those that forgets that, if the option is available to all players, then the playing field is level, whether they choose to take advantage of the opportunity or not?

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

I have some players that regularly give me pages of backstory to work with and some that don't bother, but complain because things from the detailed backstory come up in game. One of the players that gives me that backstory told the other player "you've got the same option with your character."

[Bolon]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

I would actually think that instead of a set number for a page. I would say a maximum for a page but a per point for story thread ideas. Maybe a 2 point bonus for the page and then up to 8 more based on story threads given for a total of 10. I have seen people set up backgrounds as armour to keep you from railroading the character. Give the points for the disadvantages they put forward by loose story threads. It can be an optional additional point just like disadvantages were in 5th Ed.

 

Anyone who would be resentful needs to write one up and give the GM some ideas and story threads. The GM should then use the ideas and create a spotlight concept. A friend of mine used this idea where he would think of the game session as a comic book and would decide to change who got the cover and main storyline each week. There would be shared covers and even team covers but in any group comic, you see highlighted characters. The story threads would then be used to go into their storylines.

 

I do think that they would add to the game once the general thread for story spine is established. We had a GM who would create our backgrounds for us after we told him the general character we wanted. Since he spent more time discussing with some players over others, the game spotlighted them more so there was a degree of resentment when the spotlight didn't get shared or the story threads were very annoying. It seemed some players were being picked on by having story lines they didn't enjoy and felt embarassed about like ex lovers or such. It did touch some nerves. Careful on what you do add since it is still a game for enjoyment of all and not all but one or 2 players.

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Players always have the option of asking where the plot is going in regard to their character and have the power to say "no" if they don't like that direction.

[steriaca]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Othoe my GMing skills are rather limited, I am all for giving bonuses for helping the GM out. The villians get bonuses all the time (I bet you can count the number of villians in the VV series who do not have a Villian Bonus on one hand, two at the most). So, why not provide a bonus to players also.

 

In fact, I am going to list [Anyting] Bonus in the Hero System Charater Creation Cheet Sheat I am writing up.

 

My guidlines are:

1) Background, betwen 1-10 points, depending on how detailed it is, and exactly how much the player needs.

2) Services, a flat rate defined by the GM for the service rendered by the player (not charater). Examples are the group artest or group webmaster.

3) I once got a 'conversion bonus' given by my GM when we moved from Marvel Super Heros (TSR version) to Champions 4th edition (the BBB). I do not remember how much, buy it might of been 10 points.

 

Hope this helps.

[Laundry Knight]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

As far as fair and balanced, games like Hero are not fair and balanced as the advantage goes to whoever has the time and money to invest in learning how the system works and are willing to use that knowledge to gain an advantage. It also gives the advantage to the player that only spends his points to make his character better in the adventures but spend hardly anything on making the character interesting.

 

If you want fair and balanced, you need to go with D&D and games like it and have everyone roll their scores while you are carefully watching.

 

Games like Hero and GURPS is that you free to go off the rails and try to make the character you actually want to play, and yes, that does mean that they are subject to abuse my munckins, but there is a downside to every advantage; so, let's get over it and have some fun.

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Even the dice gods are not always fair.

[Bodkins Odds]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

The dice were much more fair back in Basic D&D where modifiers were based on the 3D6 bell curve:

 

3 -3

4-5 -2

6-8 -1

9-12 +0

13-15 +1

16-17 +2

18 +3

 

Just because they wanted consistent modifiers for scores over 18 didn't mean they had to change modifiers for scores in the 3d6 range. They could have said that every 2 points after 18 gives another +1.

 

The other big problem is that they boosted health points into silly levels and made it so that Wizards can get outrageous bonuses to their spell DCs. It used to be that certain save or suck spells were a bad idea for a particular foe because his class was good against those kinds of spells, now it doesn't matter unless you built your wizard poorly.

 

What wizards needed was simply more ways to contribute at low levels, not being turned into save or die monsters. And raising the HP cap just drags out fights and makes Fireball a waste of a spell slot. And don't get me started on sneak attack...

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Rolling dice for stats is inherently unfair. Do you have any idea how many characters were killed during generation? Around here it was often referred to as "Sudden Character Death Syndrome".

[Laundry Knight]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Of course, that brings up the question of whether a game can be balanced and fair at the same time. It seems the two concepts often work against each other.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

This got bitter quickly, didn't it? For those of you wondering why, we had quite a lively discussion about the merits of rewarding players and characters for in and out of game actions recently, and, well, opinions differed.

 

I'm going to suggest a couple of things, and try and string together some reasoning.

 

It seems to me that there are two major reasons for having a character backstory:

 

1. To increase player investment in the character, and

2. To help the GM in preparing a tailored campaign background.

 

There are other reasons as well, but I think they all ultimately devolve to one of those two basic reasons.

 

Player investment can be a mixed blessing. I've seen players so invested that, when the Dice Gods (as Greywind appropriately terms it) do something nasty, the player can get very upset, and it can cause a withdrawal from the game, emotionally and sometimes physically. Telling the player to grow up is, well, unhelpful usually, especially if you are the one who encouraged the investment in the first place.

 

Of course that is only one side, and an invested player does not necessarily mean a player with inappropriate emotional attachment. It can simply make the character a more interesting part of the story, and that has to be good.

 

I would not suggest that this particularly NEEDS a reward, in that it is a reward in itself: a player invested in the game is a player who is enjoying it. Of course you might have a player who does not think their writing skill, or spelling, or whatever is up to scratch, or who suffers dyslexia or somesuch, and you feel they would benefit from greater investment. I would suggest that the way to deal with that is to help them 'write' a backstory, by talking it through with them and writing down the highlights yourself.

 

An invested player will also see more of their own character and story reflected in the ongoing game, so it is an ongoing reward in and of itself.

 

As to the second point, assisting the GM, I am all for that, but I am not convinced that backstory necessarily helps. I for one have been in situations where I am GMing and done something that does not accord with a backstory, or I've felt that one player's backstory has fitted better than others, and used more from that.

 

It is useful to know CERTAIN information (family, friends, where they grew up, what their (BRIEF) history is, etc.) but I tend to either ascertain that from a questionnaire, or do that in game. Generally the scenarios I write are for a specific group anyway and I try to put in story arcs for the characters in any event, so I do not necessarily find backstory useful: it is more for me to integrate.

 

Again, if someone is willing to provide me with useful information, then they get that reflected in the story, which is a reward.

 

I am not a fan of XP awards for coming up with backstory, simply because I do not think it is necessary. In fact I'm not particularly a fan of experience systems at all, given the way I play (which these days tends to be with a familiar groups I know well): development can be done on an ad hoc basis without monetarising player involvement.

 

There is nothing wrong with handing out XP (or, better, background skills/perks/talents) for a backstory, but surely the background stuff is what players OUGHT to be building their characters on in any event, without having to have a separate dole for doing so.

 

If this is genuinely a problem, then why not simply give everyone 10 XP they HAVE to spend on contacts/favours etc, and ask them to explain how they know the people involved. That may sound like exactly the same thing, because it is, mechanically: the difference is the approach. It is not "If you do this, then you get this.", it is "Here's some bonus stuff, all you've got to do is tell me why you deserve it."

 

As the parent of children who are growing up just fine, I can tell you the latter approach tends to work better.

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Balanced is between the GM and players. Not between players.

 

Fair depends on the GM making sure that all the players are relevant at one point or another and that they get equal time. They may not get it every session but so long as one player/character isn't at the forefront constantly and all the players are enjoying the game it should be good.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Hero is not fair, for all the time and effort we spend in discussing point values. Two non-identical 200 point characters will fare differently in a game because some situations will favour one and some the other, and probability is not an endlessly repeating string of heads and tails, it is runs of one, and then the other and then no pattern at all. Bit like life, really.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Balanced is between the GM and players. Not between players.

 

Fair depends on the GM making sure that all the players are relevant at one point or another and that they get equal time. They may not get it every session but so long as one player/character isn't at the forefront constantly and all the players are enjoying the game it should be good.

 

 

Good points well made.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Rolling dice for stats is inherently unfair. Do you have any idea how many characters were killed during generation? Around here it was often referred to as "Sudden Character Death Syndrome".

 

An old version of the game Traveller actually allowed your character to die in roll-up, which always struck me at the time as weird, but now strikes me as kinda cool.

 

Useless, but kinda cool.

[Greywind]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Played that. My brother was a fan of the franchise.

[Bodkins Odds]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Yes, but since classes had stat minimums in the stats that were essential to that class, every character that came out of character gen alive was theoretically playable.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

An old version of the game Traveller actually allowed your character to die in roll-up, which always struck me at the time as weird, but now strikes me as kinda cool.

 

Useless, but kinda cool.

 

Struck me as stupid first time I heard about it, still strikes me as stupid.

[Laundry Knight]

Re: Background Story Rewards

 

Both Greywind and Sean Waters make valid points and represent where I am getting even if I have failed to make it clear. If I read you guys correctly, you more or less agree with me when I believe that fair and balanced are seldom, if ever, the results of game mechanics. They are a matter of how the story is ran which to me means both the choices of the GM and the players. One of my aphorisms is "roleplaying is a team sport" meaning we either win together or lose together, and if we are playing as a team, the differences between character point costs shouldn't matter.