New GM (to DFRPG) with a question about rewarding players

[Lorillomar]

Hello,

Our D&D group will be starting a campaign in DFRPG this weekend, set in Baton Rouge where we live.  As a matter of fact, we are going to try an ankle-deep world where everyone plays themselves as pure-vanilla mortals.  Their actual, statted-out selves.  Should be an interesting way to get into the campaign.

Anyway, with a group full of vanilla mortals, I can't very well reward them with magic items, since they can't use them.  It is such an odd viewpoint for me, coming from a D&D mindset.  How do I keep their interest in the game?  If I don't progress the world to knee-deep and beyond (taking it very slow), and I can't reward them with magic items, how do I reward them after missions?  If I give them money, eventually they will have enough money that their Resources skill should reflect their newfound affluence, right?  After all, if they make a major drug bust (for example), and liberate a huge pile of cash, and invest it, they will have access to a much bigger income.  But if they don't raise their Resources skill, how is this reflected in the game?

Very confused,


Dave

[FangGrip]

They will gain access to more skills and stunts as time progresses.  In addition, certain character templates may open up based upon their actions.

[Gilesth]

Another way to reward them is with cash to spend at local stores...like gun stores, magic shops, car dealerships, etc.  Perhaps one particularly grateful client owns a manor house that he then donates to the group as a home base/safe-house.

[wyvern]

Another very simple reward option is to just give out extra fate points.  Player just did something really neat?  Give them a fate point for it.  (This would, presumably, be on top of the normal fate point refresh.)

[Becq]

I assume you're still using a Dresdenified world, right?  I.e., your characters are starting out as vanilla mortals, but there's still supernatural stuff, and the possibility to learn mystical stuff?  If so, then there's still lots you can play with.  For example:

* Assuming you give out milestones, the characters will eventually start building up skills and/or skills.  They may learn to use weapons where they previously could not.  This can even happen at minor milestones, where a player might shift a point of skill from one skill to another or reword an aspect, thereby evolving themselves in some way; at significant milestones they can actually increase their skill pool.

* Characters might be given the opportunity to gain powers of some form.  For example, a player might discuss with you about the possibility that their character was actually a Changeling who had yet to develop any Changeling powers.  So over the course of a number of game sessions, they might slowly begin filling out the Changeling template.  (See the rules for mid-session power upgrades (YS91) for this sort of thing.)  Or they might rescue a Wizard, then find out that one (or more) of them has the potential to learn spellcasting from him.

* While the Refresh of your character may start out low, it will grow as you grant major milestones.  If you *want* them to start out mundane but quickly submerge themselves, you could give out the first few major milestones more quickly than normal (then taper off).

* As to magic items, you might still have the players find Items of Power ... and if a player choses to bond with it, they add it to their sheet and reduce their Refresh (again, use the mid-session upgrade rules).

As to your question about money, you can handle this in a number of ways.  For example, they might just have a pile of cash which is a limited resource that they can use (without touching their resources) until it's gone.  Or you could allow them to use it as an excuse to upgrade their Resources when they reach milestones.  Or you might even give them a 'bonus milestone', used specifically to increase Resources.  Or you could let use a mid-session upgrade to trade in Refresh in exchange for one of the Resources stunts, like 'Windfall'.  Or you could even let them take the stunt 'for free', which is kind of like a major milestone with the Refresh dedicated to a specific purpose.

[WillH]

Another very simple reward option is to just give out extra fate points.  Player just did something really neat?  Give them a fate point for it.  (This would, presumably, be on top of the normal fate point refresh.)

This, and do it immediately. Don't wait for the end of the session.

[Lorillomar]

They will gain access to more skills and stunts as time progresses.  In addition, certain character templates may open up based upon their actions.

Yes, but doesn't this require a significant milestone to occur?  I am used to running campaigns which start at 1st level (D&D) and progress well into Epic after years of gameplay.  I would like to emulate this slow, steady progression in DFRPG.  It's going to be interesting finding non-magic and non-stat ways to mete out rewards as the game progresses.

As far as cash and goodies go, unless they provide real in-game benefits, I assume that they will lose interest in them after a while.  What good is cash if they can't buy anything that changes their situation with it?  For example, we are playing with people who IRL own various guns (for hunting).  I am going to allow them to start with them, since they are after all playing as themselves.  One owns a 357 magnum, if I remember correctly.  That should equate to a Weapon-3 by the chart.  Where does one go from there?  A Weapon-4 would be like a 50-cal MG.


After reviewing other posts...

Yes, this is a Dresden-fied world.  I am going to start things looking exactly like it would be if you looked out your window and expose the Supernatural elements to the world slowly as the party becomes enmeshed and aware of just how much lies beneath the surface.  It could be weeks before they encounter anything not explainable by mundane causes.

Sorry to be obstinate, but I am still in the process of wrapping my brain around this.  I appreciate your assistance.

[wyvern]

Well, what are the rewards available in real life?  What motivates, say, Butters, to help out Dresden?

The notion that loot of some sort is an integral part of the roleplaying experience is actually relatively unique to D&D; I don't think I've encountered any other game system that puts anywhere near as much emphasis on what stuff you have.

[Baron Hazard]

tbh,

[Archmage_Cowl]

One relatively simply way you could do this is whenever the party accomplishes something important put an aspect on the group or campaign related to it. To use your drug bust example if they should do that and invest it all give them the aspect "Big Money" that can be tagged every so often or fate pointed to give them boost's to their resources representing taking out money from their accounts. Then later you could start compeling it saying remnents of the gang are coming after them wanting their drug money back.

Another thing you could do (following the idea above) is have npc's the party interact go in debt to the party, like owe them favors or markers that they can call in at a later date.

[FangGrip]

As far as cash and goodies go, unless they provide real in-game benefits, I assume that they will lose interest in them after a while.  What good is cash if they can't buy anything that changes their situation with it?  For example, we are playing with people who IRL own various guns (for hunting).  I am going to allow them to start with them, since they are after all playing as themselves.  One owns a 357 magnum, if I remember correctly.  That should equate to a Weapon-3 by the chart.  Where does one go from there?  A Weapon-4 would be like a 50-cal MG.

There is a wide continuum of role playing games in the world.  Some of them tend towards nit-picking every detail with lots of stuff, loot, powers, and other "goodies".  Others are more story based and focus towards the broader strokes of the story over equipment.  Dresden Files is one of those games.

If your players need the loot and the constant in-game stuff acquisition, they may be happier with a more standard game.  Find a few people who would be happier with character development in a less structured system to try out DFRPG.

[Lorillomar]

Find a few people who would be happier with character development in a less structured system to try out DFRPG.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.  I like this crew and I think they have it in them.  It's probable that we are all just in a rut from too many years of 3.5 and Pathfinder.

Big Money sounds interesting.  How do you guys manage to keep track of all the aspects that might add up all over the place?  It makes my brain hurt just thinking of the organizational skills it would take to keep track of them all.

[FangGrip]

It really is easier than you might think.  Just start slow and let yourself get into the groove.

And don't be afraid to let your players shoulder some of the work to keep track of some.  Esp the ones they inflict temporarily.  Heck, Im sure you have juggled more info in a large scale battle from D&D than you will in this game.

[FangGrip]

Another idea is one that I just used in game.

One of my players is a Police Officer who assisted the group in rescuing a kidnapped Judge.  They did a good job, and she got the "The Station Chief's Approval" as a moderate reward (anti-consequence).  I treat it like an Aspect that she has a free tag on once, and will remain for a while.  She can invoke it for a favor here or there using Declarations or to improve certain rolls.

The great thing about this system is while there is not a lot of hard rewards (except for milestones), there is always an in-game reward that may be ephemeral that the players may really enjoy.

[TheMouse]

I'm sure if you give them a chance, part of their reward is going to be telling a cool story.

Also, knowledge and favours are good rewards. They're specific and sometimes they expire, which means that they tend to promote using them quickly. (There are exceptions, especially creatures of faerie.) They have the added benefit of sometimes making trouble for the people who have earned them, which leads to more stories.

Emergent powers are another route. Someone can discover an aptitude for magic. They can start taking up being a focused practitioner, then eventually (as the game gets that far) become a full wizard. This is especially valuable because it generates a ton of story events.