Giving characters free features

[danzibr]

So my wife and I are about to start a campaign, just the two of us. I'll DM and she'll play. She loves Goliath but I asked her if she'd go human and agreed (I said she could go Goliath with no LA, since it's just her, but she said she'd like to try human). However, she was raised in a community of Goliaths, and as such I was thinking of giving her Mountain Acclimation or something. Just something flavorful, not game breaking.

Also, since it's just her, I planned on giving her the feat which basically gives an animal companion for free (forgot the name) at some point, related to the story (plus she's probably going Cleric and I don't want to starve her for feats).

How do you all feel about this sort of free stuff?

EDIT: Wild Cohort.

[Shades of Gray]

As long as the other players get free stuff it doesn't matter.

You could also just make her take the wild cohort feat when it becomes relevant.

[Greenish]

As long as the other players get free stuff it doesn't matter.By default, every time she gets any free stuff, all players get free stuff.

[mykelyk]

As long as the other players


every time she gets any free stuff, all players

You should put more points in spot.


So my wife and I are about to start a campaign, just the two of us.

[Sucrose]

You should put more points in spot.

I believe that was Greenish's point. Perhaps a few ranks in Sense Motive are in order?:smalltongue:

On-topic, so long as you can still gauge her strength well enough to throw the right sorts of challenges at her, I don't see any issue with giving your wife free stuff.

[Luckmann]

No problem at all - in fact I'd encourage it as long as all players are given free stuff in the interest of fairness or balance in varying degrees.

And as has been stated repeatedly, your wife is the only player, so it shouldn't matter anyway.

[Greenish]

You should put more points in spot.Would my post make sense if there were more than one player? :smallamused:

[Johnny H]

Our DM sometimes gives us a free feats if:
It reflects some training we just finished or
We gain them due to something BIG happening or
He simply decides we need/deserve them.
But they tend not be be of the game-braking type, and all the players get them :smallsmile:

[FMArthur]

One thing that you lose a little of is the solidity of the system by just handing out stuff for free if it's wanted, instead of promoting those choices within character building. Even just making it a trade for human skill points or something would probably be enough to keep it from feeling like 'freeform rules rewriting when convenient'. Obviously these are really small changes you're making, but if you give out a Wild Cohort-equivalent ability for nothing, you may need to think about what the purpose of feats are to begin with and if they represent anything at all.

[Johnny H]

One thing that you lose a little of is the solidity of the system by just handing out stuff for free if it's wanted, instead of promoting those choices within character building. Even just making it a trade for human skill points or something would probably be enough to keep it from feeling like 'freeform rules rewriting when convenient'. Obviously these are really small changes you're making, but if you give out a Wild Cohort-equivalent ability for nothing, you may need to think about what the purpose of feats are to begin with and if they represent anything at all.

Yeah, I guess your point is valid for a larger group of players... But if the party consists of but one member, it won't hurt to give her a companion, don't you think?

I'd say it's OK, as long as you don't start handing (free) feats out left and right. Slightly different rules apply to DM+ 1 games :smallsmile:

[Z3ro]

'freeform rules rewriting when convenient'.

Remember that this is not necassarily a bad thing, and actually sounds like something that would work much better for two players than a RAW game.

[mykelyk]

Would my post make sense if there were more than one player? :smallamused:

I read it like that:


By default, every time she gets any free stuff, all players should get free stuff.


I believe that was Greenish's point. Perhaps a few ranks in Sense Motive are in order?:smalltongue:

Yes they are, spot too..

[danzibr]

Hmm, thanks all. I see the problems with it (or rather, limitations? Use caution, in other words). I should have been a bit more clear.

I want her to have Wild Cohort so she won't be so outnumbered. Not that I plan on having her fight 10 Orcs at a time, but I don't want her constantly fighting groups of 1-3 baddies. Plus it'll be built into the story. I'm thinking something like she rescues an animal from some predators, its parents died, the animal attaches to her, she trains it and raises it. Instead of just getting a creature though, I want something that grows with her, which Wild Cohort offers.

Also, she wouldn't be getting all of a Goliath's good features (certainly not the stat adjustments and Powerful Build), just something to show how much time she spent in the mountains with her tribe.

Long story short, she won't be getting racial features and free feats like candy (in fact, I don't plan on doing anything other than what's listed above). I was wondering how people think a free Wild Cohort and mild racial features are. And, of course, the notion of free abilities in general.

Thanks all!

[Hand_of_Vecna]

with 1, 2 even three player games my opinion has always been go nuts. Have fun give out extra feats, class features, stat points etc as rewards and initially to support backstory. With so few players these extras are easy to balance/ balance be damned in a solo campaign you can play "the chosen one" without groans from other players enjoy. Once in a solo game I let my wife play a druid with the totally broken spells refresh option from UA and a feat that let her use perform (sing) in place of any craft or profession by making small animals come in and perform the task for her.

Seriously go nuts after she is sleeping with the DM.

Just so long as she knows this isn't setting a precident that you'll follow in full size games.

[danzibr]

with 1, 2 even three player games my opinion has always been go nuts. Have fun give out extra feats, class features, stat points etc as rewards and initially to support backstory. With so few players these extras are easy to balance/ balance be damned in a solo campaign you can play "the chosen one" without groans from other players enjoy. Once in a solo game I let my wife play a druid with the totally broken spells refresh option from UA and a feat that let her use perform (sing) in place of any craft or profession by making small animals come in and perform the task for her.

Seriously go nuts after she is sleeping with the DM.

Just so long as she knows this isn't setting a precident that you'll follow in full size games.

I like it! Especially the second paragraph.

She has played other campaigns before (well, one campaign and a couple sessions). I think we'll just have fun, and it part of the fun is going nuts, then so be it.

[Luckmann]

[...]

Seriously go nuts after she is sleeping with the DM.

[...]Well if there's any better motivation for giving someone free features, I'm just not seeing it. :smalltongue:

[Talya]

When I DM a Forgotten Realms game, I like the idea of giving all players a free regional feat (but it has to somehow mesh into their background.)

Feats as quest rewards are also nice.

Speaking of FR regional feats and goliaths, "Jotunbrud" might be worth a mention for the OP. Someone just pointed it out to me...

[Luckmann]

When I DM a Forgotten Realms game, I like the idea of giving all players a free regional feat (but it has to somehow mesh into their background.)

Feats as quest rewards are also nice.

Speaking of FR regional feats and goliaths, "Jotunbrud" might be worth a mention for the OP. Someone just pointed it out to me...Jotunbrud? That's.. that's an actual feat? I think I speak for all swedes here that that sounds bloodly hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

[Talya]

Jotunbrud? That's.. that's an actual feat? I think I speak for all swedes here that that sounds bloodly hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

FR regional feat for Illuskans and Damarans. They're distant descendants of giants. They count as large sized when beneficial for opposed rolls such as grapples, trips, bull rushes, etc. (also for how large a creature that you can affect or be affected by.)

[Hiro Protagonest]

Jotunbrud? That's.. that's an actual feat? I think I speak for all swedes here that that sounds bloodly hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

Gives powerful build minus the ability to use large weapons. You're descended from giants.

Speaking of which, aren't the Jotun giants in Norse lore?

And I looked up Jotun brud on google translate. Huh...

[zyborg]

Gives powerful build minus the ability to use large weapons. You're descended from giants.

Speaking of which, aren't the Jotun giants in Norse lore?

And I looked up Jotun brud on google translate. Huh...

Jotunbrud = Giant's blood. Big Norse mythology fan and player of Scion. Though Brud in Sweden is a bit different, I guess.

[Luckmann]

Gives powerful build minus the ability to use large weapons. You're descended from giants.

Speaking of which, aren't the Jotun giants in Norse lore?

And I looked up Jotun brud on google translate. Huh...Jotun is a giant in norse mythology, not all giants. Giants do however live in Jotunheim.

Brud in Swedish literally translates into "Broad". And by broad, I don't mean wide. :smallbiggrin:

It can also mean "bride" but that's not nearly as hilarious.