Roleplaying Achievements

[Niko]

Hey guys, I'm currently working on a set of roleplaying achievements for DnD 3.5 and i figured i would ask for some help on this one. What I'm looking for are certain things that players do that give the game a nice change of pace and is so out there that the DM is compeled to reward them for the experiance with experiance. Here's an example:

-Dungeon Master Tactition: whenever a player comes up with a way to get past a trap, riddle, wall, barrier, or obsticle that the DM didn't think of durring its creation- 200 x.p.

or something like that please!

[Yukitsu]

Usually, you'll want to wing it, and not have a set formula. There's lots of clever things you'll have missed that you'll want to reward, and plenty of times that they've technically done what is required, but are kind of being abusive with it/did it but don't really deserve the prize.

On the other hand:

technically...
Gets through an entire high pressure interrogation by answering entirely in technical truths, where the DM suspected bluff rolls would have been required. Rewarded by allowing the player past without a bluff roll, as well as the full Exp as if they had fought the NPCs and won.

I want the truth!
Get an enemy NPC to tell you the true purpose behind his actions without rolling any dice. Rewarded with a more willing continuation of questioning, as the NPC is appreciative of not being intimidated or manipulated into giving an answer.

[Gralamin]

Personally, how I would do it:

When you make your campaign, come up with a list of interesting Roleplaying Situations that are likely to come up and worth XP. Assign each an XP amount based on the level the Party should be when they get there. At the bottom of the list, record XP amounts for each level.

When one of the interesting situations comes up, give the player or players who caused it the XP. When a situation you hadn't thought of comes up, that you want to reward, go look at the Level/XP amounts on the bottom of the List, scribble a quick name for the reward in the column, and hand it out as above.

This allows you to handle about any situation easily.

Finally, you have to assure that the players don't try to simply "Farm" achievements. Various ways of dealing with it, but what I'd personally do is:
1) Don't give players a list of names of achievements.
2) Keep an Index card with each players name on it. When a player gets an achievement, write down the name and XP amount on the card. At the end of the session, total it and give the card to the players.
This will make it difficult for the players to immediately place where they got them, and they don't know what they "Missed".
3) If players miss an achievement, unless its something really important, strike it off the list and never mention its existence to the players.

[Mushroom Ninja]

Whenever I think of set-in-stone standards for getting RP EXP, this comes to mind.

[Strawman]

Creative accomplishments should be creatively rewarded. When a player comes up with something that even the DM did not think of, the player should be rewarded with something that is situation appropriate. If a player uses a fireball to dislodge and roll a boulder through a crowd of kobolds, the boulder could hit a rock, crack in two, and reveal a valuable gemstone.

I just think that it is kind of heartless to reward creative ideas with generic things like exp.

[Cubey]

This isn't a video game, where the creators have to predict possible out of the box thinking and assign it rewards in advance. I think a DM can easily react to creative player ideas and reward them as he believes appropriate. There is no need to limit yourself with artificial ramifications.

[woodenbandman]

My idea: Whenever you grant RP experience, just give them a shiny badge to go with it. You don't need to come up with conditions beforehand, just draw them something nice.

[Niko]

Thx guys for replying, and.... the reason I do this is because I have a relatively new batch of players and I'm trying to come up with some way that they can get into rp'ing quickly and still have alot of fun. The campain started at 5th lvl. and one of the 3 players used to DM, and she knows how to push the envalope of xp without the other 2 noobs. So the rp awards is a way to help the noobs gain lvls to match. See if you guys can come up with anymore.... PLEASE!

[DragonBaneDM]

A big problem I always see is people NEVER sticking to their alignments. A very big deal in 3.5 especially.

Introduce a moral dillemma or two to throw them off.

"Wait...The rogue's mother's actually the vampire???". Or something along those lines.

Also, introduce the ally system. If the players make nice in a town, the chances of the town guard coming to their aid in a difficult fight becomes higher.

[Ravens_cry]

Also, introduce the ally system. If the players make nice in a town, the chances of the town guard coming to their aid in a difficult fight becomes higher.

I like the idea, but that specific example raises the question of, "why don't they solve the problem themselves, then?"