Inspiration

[username1]

I have a few questions about RAW on inspiration. Also I have a few tips, and need a few tips.

In RAW inspiration is said to be used as a reward for players role-playing their bond, flaws, and ideals. You can only have one inspiration at a time, and can spend it for advantage for a role. There are a few more things.

My first problem with inspiration is how it is a reward for role-playing one of those three things. In my gaming group we rarely fill those out, and the dm doesn't write everyones down. We all have backstories and personalities for our characters, but we don't put all of it into those three things. We find it unnecessary. Even if we did fill them out there still is a problem. Using it for those three things is SO limited. You should have many traits about your character you show, not just three used all the time. Instead my group uses inspiration as a reward for anything. Good rp, cool moment, plot advancement, you name it. Often the Dm will at the start of the night tell everyone what they will reward inspiration for that session. Last session I was trying to get my players to rp with each others characters, not just my npcs. I told them I will give inspiration if they did that. And it really worked, from the start of my session they were rp for 20 minutes with each other. This was the first time we had ever done this much in a game, and we all agreed that it makes the game much more fun.

My second problem with inspiration is you can only have one at a time. My players use inspiration only when they must role high. So I will go to give inspiration when I learn all my players have one already. So I decided to boost the max to 2. This way they can spend inspiration on something not that important while still keeping one for that desperate moment. I do still see flaws in this, and want to know what you think.

Last, I have a question: How do I get my players to spend their inspiration. As I said above I bumped the max to 2, which helped a bit. But they still hoard and forget about it. I want to give lots of inspiration, its a really good reward. I have told my players this, but they still fear they will be without one when they need it. How else should I get this across. Any other thoughts about inspirations?

[sophontteks]

You should fill out your backgrounds! It takes like 2 minutes!!! It gives you, the DM, a better idea of what the character represents. It's the foundation for the finer details of their character. If they can't fill those out, they probably haven't bothered with, well, anything else about their characters background either.

One of the greatest things about pen and paper, and 5e's return to pen and paper gameplay, is that its the strongest platform for role-playing. You know, those three things are just there for people who aren't used to roleplaying. Its a great way to get them started and the way inspiration is suggested to be used is just to provide incentive for roleplaying, for players not used to it. Its worked really well when I DMed for new players. When people are rewarded for playing their character, rather then doing what is mechanically 'the best' they pick up on how the game is best played really quick.

And by all means this isn't exclusively how inspiration should be given out. Pretty much every game I ever played has allowed both the DM to give inspiration for what they feel is exceptional roleplay (often they give it to everyone for being creative) and the players too can vote for another player to be given inspiration as well.

The best way to have your players spend inspiration is to limit how much they can have. When they are awarded more and its essentially wasted, they'll get the hint that they should, you know, use it. If they can stockpile it, they will.

[JoeJ]

Every game session, each player starts with 1 inspiration. Throughout the session they can gain more, with no limit to how much they can have accumulated (only 1 can be used per roll, however). But it all goes away at the end of the evening; the next session everybody starts out with 1 again.

[Nifft]

Last, I have a question: How do I get my players to spend their inspiration. As I said above I bumped the max to 2, which helped a bit. But they still hoard and forget about it. I want to give lots of inspiration, its a really good reward. I have told my players this, but they still fear they will be without one when they need it. How else should I get this across. Any other thoughts about inspirations?

People hoard things when they fear a shortage, and when they have room to store excess without any cost.

So what you do to train your players away from hoarding is:

- Remove the ability to store excess (which 5e did by default, since you only had 1 or 0 inspiration); and

- Ensure the frequent delivery of new Inspiration points, so they stop fearing that they'll use up their only one and never see another one again.

[username1]

You should fill out your backgrounds! It takes like 2 minutes!!! It gives you, the DM, a better idea of what the character represents. It's the foundation for the finer details of their character. If they can't fill those out, they probably haven't bothered with, well, anything else about their characters background either.

One of the greatest things about pen and paper, and 5e's return to pen and paper gameplay, is that its the strongest platform for role-playing. You know, those three things are just there for people who aren't used to roleplaying. Its a great way to get them started and the way inspiration is suggested to be used is just to provide incentive for roleplaying, for players not used to it. Its worked really well when I DMed for new players. When people are rewarded for playing their character, rather then doing what is mechanically 'the best' they pick up on how the game is best played really quick.

And by all means this isn't exclusively how inspiration should be given out. Pretty much every game I ever played has allowed both the DM to give inspiration for what they feel is exceptional roleplay (often they give it to everyone for being creative) and the players too can vote for another player to be given inspiration as well.

The best way to have your players spend inspiration is to limit how much they can have. When they are awarded more and its essentially wasted, they'll get the hint that they should, you know, use it. If they can stockpile it, they will.

My players have filled out their background. Just not in the format of a bond, flaw, and ideal. We all know each others characters and their backstories.

[mgshamster]

For my games, anyone can give out inspiration to anyone else for any of the following reasons (pending DM agreement):

Great roleplay
Awesome ideas
Really funny line/quips (in or out of character)

Plus, I hand out inspiration randomly at times. Especially in AL, where I give out inspiration at every new section of the module.

We see it all the time; it doesn't have to be regulated to just the one liners in the background chapter.

[ad_hoc]

2 thoughts/pieces of advice.

1. Roleplaying is everything you do in the game that isn't asking for the Cheetos or a rules clarification. Framing it otherwise will cause problems.

2. Don't think of Inspiration as a reward, think of the character's traits as abilities. Backgrounds are a wonderful addition to the game because backstories don't actually exist until they impact the story being played out. At our table we have changed Inspiration so we don't need to keep track of an extra thing. When a character does something related to a trait the player mentions it then they get advantage on whatever it is they are trying to do (or the DM explains why it doesn't actually fit the situation but that should be rare). This also helps to emphasize what the character's trait is helping them do.

[Unoriginal]

You could hand out physical tokens to the players who get Indpiration as a way to remind them they have it. Or just tell them "do you want to use your inspiration?" From time to time.

[JellyPooga]

My players have filled out their background. Just not in the format of a bond, flaw, and ideal. We all know each others characters and their backstories.

Think of the Bond, Flaw, etc. as the "key points" of tbe Background; the most important aspects that eill trigger Inspiration. There's nothing wrong with rewarding a more fleshed out Background, but those points are the defining traits of the character. Tbatxs why they're rewarded with Inspiration.

[Danielqueue1]

When I DM I hand out Inspiration like hotcakes and allow players to use inspiration on any d20 roll they are privy to after they see what it is. meaning anyone in the party could use their inspiration to help anyone else in the party. this gave the party a buffer of inspiration rolls while also preventing them from stockpiling them and it encouraged everyone to participate. because your good rp now could later save your friend from a nasty Save-or-Suck later on.

the DM I play with has a different method that is all sorts of fun.

at the beginning of each session everyone flips a d2. the party gets inspiration on a heads, the DM gets the inspiration on a 1. Whenever inspiration is used, it is passed to the other side. bonus rule, the DM and a player cannot use inspiration on the same roll. once, a player used inspiration on a roll just to prevent the DM from doing so.

[Nifft]

You could hand out physical tokens to the players who get Indpiration as a way to remind them they have it. Or just tell them "do you want to use your inspiration?" From time to time.

This is good advice.

I've had success with poker chips. The physical token is a good reminder, plus it's easy to hand one out without breaking the flow of conversation / description / immersion.

When I go to hand one out but the player already has one, I just tap the one they have and keep the token in my hand. That's their reminder to use the things.

[JackPhoenix]

My players have filled out their background. Just not in the format of a bond, flaw, and ideal. We all know each others characters and their backstories.

Backstory doesn't matter much. It may provide some inspiration for the GM, but it doesn't influence the character's actions that much. Personality does, which is what traits/ideals/bonds/flaws/alignment represent. Those categories are there to ensure the characters are consistent, and are rewarded for roleplaying consistent personalities, instead of going for "LG" murderhobos present in previous editions, or doing whatever is the most convenient. Sure, you can still play CN(E) "that's what my character would do" anus, but the GM can either see that on your sheet straight away and forbid you from playing such character, or offer a reward for sticking up to what's written in there, and (in theory) encouraging "good" behavior without the need to punish "bad" players. Carrot instead of a stick.

It's also helpful to new players less familiar with roleplaying. If they play the character they created "right", they are rewarded, thus enticing them to act in that way in the future.

[JoeJ]

This is good advice.

I've had success with poker chips. The physical token is a good reminder, plus it's easy to hand one out without breaking the flow of conversation / description / immersion.

When I go to hand one out but the player already has one, I just tap the one they have and keep the token in my hand. That's their reminder to use the things.

Just don't use hard candy, or anything else that might get eaten before it's used.

[leogobsin]

Just don't use hard candy, or anything else that might get eaten before it's used.

Or use hard candy, and say that you have to use the inspiration before you can eat it. Seems like that could solve the problem of people never using inspiration!

[Nifft]

Or use hard candy, and say that you have to use the inspiration before you can eat it. Seems like that could solve the problem of people never using inspiration!

I'll totally use this when playing with children.