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Halcyon_Dax
2007-01-06, 12:56 AM
When playing a game (not DMing) what is your favorite type of rewarding situation.

Generally what I mean by rewarding situation is: What you get at the end of a mission/campaign. Not just little things throughout, what is your favorite overall reward?

I am aware that not every situation is up there, but try and pick the closest one to your favorite!

Halcyon_Dax
2007-01-06, 01:46 AM
Excuse my bump!

Shazzbaa
2007-01-06, 02:26 AM
I was torn between "figuring out the plot" and "roleplaying rewards." I mean, the plot stuff is the fun part, to me, learning the story, having all the NPCs point fingers and me (and my character) trying to figure out what's going on... that's what I love.

But I tell you what, nothing in the whole game I've been playing in thus far has been more satisfying than destroying the Werewolf Lord that controlled my character. There was a mechanical benefit, sure, and that was nice, but I could just FEEL how much better everything suddenly was for my character, knowing he was free, and it meant the world to him -- and subsequently, to me.
So rewarding.
So in the end I had to vote for "roleplay rewards."

ClericofPhwarrr
2007-01-06, 02:31 AM
Also a roleplay rewards fan. Then again, I'm in very roleplay-oriented campaigns.

HeinleinFan
2007-01-06, 03:26 AM
Ahh, roleplaying awards.
In the campaign I play in, I'm slowly building my elven rogue into a doer-of-good-deeds. Between missions, she hands out money to the poor and orphaned, has warned a local politician about an assassination attempt, and hopes to start construction on a university *Real Soon Now*.

Admittedly, I'm only able to do this because we're in a lucrative world. I mean, I must have had about 100,000 gp worth (or more) in goods and magic items when I was 9th level. But that was because the three DMs I play under like to challenge us. ("Yay, we killed the dragon . . . who exploded . . .")

Skyserpent
2007-01-06, 04:15 AM
I get the most enjoyment out of kickin' ass but not in a traditional way... like with a stool or by tricking someone into fighting his ally. You know, action movie comedy type stuff, Jackie Chan , if you will...

BCOVertigo
2007-01-06, 05:59 PM
I voted Unique Loot because in the campaign im currently playing, we successfully derailed the plot and the party ended up with a keep while the party sorcerer was established as a minor noble. Putting resources into the castle from our adventures and getting to rise in status as well as forming political alliances has made the game much more entertaining than simply getting +3 flaming weapons all around. That and now we have a place to store 'extra' characters. (We can now tag team them out, this has greatly helped boredom as well as given us the ability to customize our party to meet specific challenges.) Also we have a dungeon I plan on filling with monsters and traps and random loot.

Ravyn
2007-01-07, 11:47 PM
Roleplaying rewards, with figuring out the plot a close second. They'd be perfectly even for me except for the fact that most of my games are online, and I save everything; while the thrill of getting it only happens once, the general feeling behind the rewards pulls through on later reads. That and those scenes are some of the most fun to RP.

Diggorian
2007-01-08, 01:59 AM
I like overcoming tactical problems but dig role playing awards as well. My best D&D experience encompassed both.

My 2nd Ed. Swashbuckler got in fight with the Captain of the Guard in a bar. Both me and my DM were in a role play acting zone. I jumped on a table to attack him with height, saying "Alas, you're not on my level." The captain replied "You'd benefit from being more down to earth," then kicked table out from under me.

I used every manuever you've seen in a Pirates of the Carribean or Three Musketeers movie in that one fight (lasted an hour of real time). At the end, after he disarmed me, I grabbed an unidentified flask from my belt.

"For your cruelty, beware the backlash, captain."
*kidney punch*
*broke bottle over his head for the KO*
"Let this weigh heavy on your mind."
:smallcool:

pestilenceawaits
2007-01-08, 04:47 PM
On several occasions I have figured out the puzzle plot etc. and in that moment of epiphany I jumped up and shouted woohoo. (sadly I am easily amused and sadder still I have been wrong)

Winged One
2007-01-08, 05:22 PM
I like to understand the plot of the game. I like to comb the dungeon, learn everything possible about the BBEG's evil plot, then take steps to cause it to blow up in his or her face. As a spellcaster, I'll be the one to disrupt the magical ritual in a way that kills the lich-wannabe(assuming I can't just make it impossible). As a fighter or blaster-mage, I'll smash the glowing things until the BBEG yells "NOOOOOOO!" As a rogue, I'll steal the BBEG's journal, look to see what he warns himself to never ever do, and then do it. I like to be asked for help by an innocent being framed, then ask everybody I can what's going on, look for contradictions, exploit them, eventually learn the truth, and trumpet my findings with my resons for them to the people who decide their fate. Nothing pleases me, and infuriates my characters, more then to learn that their employer was secretly manipulating the party into causing needless suffering, just before it's too late to stop them.

Scorpina
2007-01-08, 05:40 PM
I love the roleplaying awards. That's why so many of my characters are walking around with 'useless' stuff like locks of nymph's hair while her party mates have all the leet magic items...

Dihan
2007-01-08, 05:40 PM
I like advancing my characters personality, aswell as abilities, via solo sub-missions. Such as saving a village from a rabid bear, helping the local merhants by looting the merchant tyrant's house, etc.

I feel it gives an opportunity for the non-fighty characters to advance themselves.

d12
2007-01-09, 02:43 AM
I'm torn between loot and advancement. Most people I game with know that I enjoy "The Two L's": leveling and loot. :smallbiggrin: DMs I've had don't tend to be very big on custom stuff/unique loot, usually I don't really get very into plots, I tend to view BBEGs and challenges as ways to facilitate the Two L's, and roleplaying awards (as presented) strike me as such a huge ripoff...my companions and I hiked for almost a week to get to the volcano the dragon was setting up shop in and nearly got killed when it decided it was miffed at our presence; how exactly does the princess kissing me help? Is it like, a Kiss of Gain Constitution or something? :smalltongue: I tend to have a "yeah, but what does that buy me, exactly?" approach to most things.

Dareon
2007-01-09, 04:05 AM
Do I have to just pick one? :smallfrown:

I tend to just like playing and practically everything that comes with it. In a previous session, we fought a Necropolitan Truenamer/Binder and his Shaman friend (OA Shaman home-updated to 3.5), I hit the Shaman with Baleful Utterance for a one-round kill (With Sneak Attack and I Can't Believe It's Not Sneak Attack), getting a very nice RP reveal of Baleful Utterance (First time I'd used it), then we unlocked a Wall of Force door the two baddies had been trying to open, got a hefty dose of destiny, a 12th-level treasure for a level 6 party, and the place we just cleared out as a fort we intend to expand. Then I got to be fearless in the face of a templated intelligent Dire Lion.

Everything in that encounter was awesome, including the forty barbarians we defeated along with the two biggies.

Seriously, if you have a good DM, it's all enjoyable.

Personally, though, I think I tend to favor figuring out the plot, history, background, etc. of the campaign. It's just so nice knowing that you have the story, you're not just fumbling about in it.

axraelshelm
2007-01-09, 04:35 AM
A cardinal from another land but of the same religion as me swapped bodies with me and tied me up. i woke up summoned a dog to chew through the ropes dispeled the magic went back into my body told the guards that the prince "which is me" has escaped confronted the cardinal made a bluff check to fool the four guards made it and the knocked him unconcious then i cursed him "no saving throw" minus 6 to wisdom. i had him tied and gaged and beaten every hour on the hour by his own guards and then sent back in a trunk back to the pope which was the ruler of the other city with a letter signed by the cardinal saying make sure the cardinal has a most comfortable stay in our city.

yep yep that'll teach him.

Lial Swiftlight
2007-01-09, 06:58 AM
Looting and levelling can be fun at first, but it soon gets boring for me. Especailly when your DM raises the challanges so fast the most rewarding thing about levelling is that you might not die next fight....

My favorite reward is a toss-up between roleplaying rewards and accomplishing something big (like derailng the DM's stupid railroad plot).

Probably my most rewarding moment of all time was when I escaped the supposedly inescapable trap we had just stumbled into. Unfortunatly, I didn't have time to rescue my allies, so I had to leave them to be captured. While the rest of the party awaited execution, my character (who is usually thought of as completely useless) called in a few favors from some powerful friends, and gatecrashed the execution with a small army. While realising I'd single-handedly saved the day, rescued my "more competent" allies and inderectly set up the death of the BBEG's younger brother definatly felt good, by far the most rewarding part was watching our wizard (who absolutly hates me) struggle with the concept that he owes me his life. In the end he just threatened to disintigrate me if I ditched them again, but I know that he's just jealous that I kicked more butt than he did. :smallsmile:

Toric
2007-01-09, 10:00 AM
I gotta say roleplaying rewards. As much as I'm gonna love that shiny new mace later on nothing quite beats the experience of meeting the grateful person after the task is done. My best current example is saving some young wolves at the request of an intelligent and reasonable dire wolf. By using jerky from the party's rations to get the wolves to come with us after their captor was killed, I got to imagine my dwarf playing with some wolf puppies, and I also found out one of my party members was a vegetarian.

Really, is there anything better than wolf puppies?:smallsmile:

bosssmiley
2007-01-09, 11:58 AM
I'm kinda torn between 'RP rewards' and 'other' for this: but the biggest buzz I get from gaming, and the reason I'm still addicted after all these years, is when the other players are cheering, hooting with laughter, sniffling, wailing or going "no freakin' way!".

Sure, imaginary loot is nice; but the approbation of your gaming buddies is better. You can't buy spontaneous applause. :smallcool:

Good topic Halcyon Dax

Falrin
2007-01-09, 12:05 PM
Heroic death.


Holdin back hordes of drow in a small corridor while the rest of the party makes a run for it.

Callos_DeTerran
2007-01-09, 02:44 PM
I loves me the role-playing rewards, but I put them in two categories.

Character advancement: Knowing that my character is a growing thought with a history and background in my mind.

Story Rewards: Sort of like the epilogue. Like you see in movies and such were the hero beats the BBEG then the narrator goes on to say what happened to him after and the rewards he reaped.

Example: In a IRL campaign my warblade wants only two things, for his legacy to live on and for his name to be world famous. When he goes into town and hears people whispering about his deeds and exploits, it suddenly matters less to me that he's a full two levels behind the rest of the party with worse equipment.

Renegade Paladin
2007-01-09, 02:48 PM
Doing cool stuff. That's why I pretty much instantly fell in love with the Smite feats presented in the rebalanced paladin (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=761045). Consecration? Smash my warhammer into the ground and send my enemies flying? Hell yeah, let me in on that! Celestial Lightning? I want. Now.

This is also why I'm probably going to get Complete Scoundrel. Some of the stuff in the previews is just cool. I don't care if my character is "suboptimal" in the way of killing things; if I get to backflip all over the place and make the ground quake by smiting it, I'm happy.