Stephan Hornick
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How To Adjust After Handing Out Too Much Loot
From JohnnFour | Published January 12, 2022
Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #1,187
Today I've got some great ideas for when we hand out too much treasure and game balance goes sideways a bit.
And in the Reader Tips section at the end, I've got a 5 Room Dungeon and Campaign Puzzle tip for you.
One thing in the 5 Room Dungeon tip resonated with me because I've been musing a lot lately on how RPGs are a different medium.
By medium, I mean things like TV, radio, print.
You can't put images on radio, and just doing audio on TV is boring.
So each medium has its ideal way of working.
And I believe RPGs are a brand new (well, 50 years old-new) medium.
When reading threads online about train-wrecked campaigns, I can't help but see a common thread of how we GMs do not treat our campaigns as a new medium.
Instead, we treat them like existing mediums.
This has negative side effects like players becoming mere audiences, railroading too much (some is ok) and writing scripts instead of games.
Next time you prep or play, give a bit of thought on how unique our medium is and what we might do differently to take advantage of all it offers.
For I believe this is part of what makes roleplaying games and GMing the best hobby in the world!
- Johnn
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How To Adjust After Handing Out Too Much Loot
By Jonathan Hardin, sojournersawake.com
The characters search the room for treasure.
After rolling on a table, you describe the treasure only to realize the characters have become too powerful with it.
While this is exciting for the table, and should be enjoyed for a time, how do you rebalance the upcoming challenges so your players continue to have fun?
Indeed, the game is now at risk of becoming boring.
In today's tips, I will show you three simple ways to make that adjustment after handing out too much loot.
Invitation & Challenge
But first, let me introduce an idea to you.
When I speak of balance, I am not talking about what level monster the players are up against.
I am speaking of the balance between invitation and challenge.
The game master creates each encounter with some level of ease or difficulty.
If the encounter is easy, then the balance dials toward invitation.
Upon increasing the difficulty with the next encounter, the balance dials towards challenge.
Too much invitation and the game becomes boring. Too much challenge and the game becomes frustrating.
We can learn to adjust the dial steadily to create a dynamic movement in the game.
When you discover characters are swimming in treasure, enjoy the ease of invitation for a while.
Then adjust towards a challenge by introducing lateral problems created by the wealth:
Thievery
This is not your average pickpocketing.
These are well-trained burglars and assassins.
They work for a powerful leader and see the party's wealth as the nicest toy at the party.
Keep the adventure rolling and use the wealth to get the characters mixed up in a quest to defeat the criminal underground.
Requests
Once you’ve won wealth, you attract all kinds of requests for aid.
Not all of them will be genuine.
Create encounters where each day a representative of a faction asks for donations.
See if the players determine who is truthful and who is a con artist.
Investments
This is more of an invitation, but it might pose challenges down the road.
Place before the characters chances to invest in property, business, and ventures.
Use up the wealth, create a fun encounter in building an investment, and then create more encounters for the future adventures.
Ownership
The characters enjoy the wealth for a time only to realize later that there exists an owner.
They discover the location and learn the owner is in need.
Now cue the adventure series of encounters to return the powerful wealth into the rightful hands.
While some players may not go for this challenge, if the journey is described as dangerous and full of excitement, they might be convinced to part with the wealth.
Cursed
After wearing this wealth for a time, the character enjoys its benefits. But after learning of its curse, and learning of it’s creator, the characters are then posited with a quest to return the wealth to its source and defeat the evil once and for all. This can be an entire adventure quest all on its own.
Finally, remember that no determination on your part is perfect.
Over time, you learn how to adjust the dials between ease and difficulty. That includes how to hand over treasure.
When you hand over too much wealth, allow time for everyone to enjoy the good fortune, smile, and then crank up the challenges.
May your story continue!