REWARD FREQUENCY

On average, the chart is based on the idea that a group will receive approximately one reward per session (as in, every four or five hours of play). This is not a hard rule and more of a guideline: there will be some sessions in which characters do not receive rewards in the form of fancy items, but instead develop connections or retrieve a powerful artifact. That table is there to help you, not to constrain you.

CREATING INTERESTING REWARDS

Here are a few things you will want to keep in mind when creating rewards:

• Learn what your Players want. If you catch a Player saying they’d like a specific item for their character, take notes — you can include that item in a future reward.
  Consider a Survey or Wishlist, as explained on page 123.
• Items that tell a story. When placing a given item among the rewards found by the characters, consider what it says about the surrounding area and its inhabitants. Who brought the crystal rod to this shrine? Why did the ancient wyvern guard a ring with no apparent value?
• Here and there. When the occasion arises and it doesn't feel forced, split your reward into smaller mini-rewards tied to different places, creatures, or threats. The Classic example would be a dungeon with several hidden treasures.
• Foreshadowing. This is a classic in JRPGs, and something you will either love or hate. What you could do is hand out rewards that will prove useful in future battles, such as a silver talon (page 272) in a dungeon crawling with undead creatures that are Vulnerable to its light damage.

Adopting this method will surely make your sessions feel more “videogamey”, but it's a matter of taste. Discuss this choice with the rest of your group.

ROGUES AND SOUL STEAL

Player Characters who put levels in the Rogue Class will likely acquire the Soul Steal Skill, which allows them to extract items from powerful enemies. Items obtained this way are in addition to normal rewards.

Philip Forlenza (Order #)