Character biographies: Incentives?

[DM Boo]

The reason is as follows: I actually like the low level content of the server far more than I do when it comes to the mid or high level content. It is just the unfortunate tendency of this server that the higher the area CR grows, the more consumables one has to acquire and use.

That was my view as well, that we'd be cutting off one of the most fun parts of the server if the XP incentive was too high.

Most of the posts here read as if players don't generally see too much value in getting XP, either because it's already easily available IG, or it doesn't add any inherent value to people's RP. It appears most people want something that can increase the fun in their RP or character development. Very nice suggestion, but we'd need to find a way to do it which wouldn't suck up a huge chunk of the DM team's time.

Unique items are a good start.

[Asmodea]

I am rather worn out of late but a suggestion I keep meaning to put in this thread is the possibilities of ties to Lore Based Factions or whatever we wish to call them.

As Guild Leader of Candlekeep for example I would be 100% fine with people who involve Candlekeep into their character backgrounds being rewarded with that being cannonized. For example someone who was a low ranked Avowed of the Keep that current Guild Members just never ran into (With or without membership in the PC Guild at CK). Or someone who used to study at Candlekeep years ago.

I can not say it is a fully fleshed out idea, but unlike the old Red Wizard Class Requirement Applications it would merely be one of various ways one can interact with landmark factions around; for example about a year ago I helped a player establish that their new character had some loose ties to the potion shop owner of Candlekeep. It created some fun RP and couldn't have been possible without it being built into the bumbling potions apprentice.

Anyway if anyone can think of better ways to expand this idea or turn it into something more useful or universal than just Candlekeep or PC factions Let me know. Maybe minor magical items with ties to factions? (A Book that Candlekeep definitely wants and can also cast Shocking Grasp a bunch comes to mind)

[eternal night]

Please don't give gold or exp for writing bios.

I would rather have it as a rule, that if you want to be part of the roleplay YOU HAVE TO WRITE A BIO.

RP should be enforced more.

[Most Horrible]

The reason is as follows: I actually like the low level content of the server far more than I do when it comes to the mid or high level content. It is just the unfortunate tendency of this server that the higher the area CR grows, the more consumables one has to acquire and use.

That was my view as well, that we'd be cutting off one of the most fun parts of the server if the XP incentive was too high.

Most of the posts here read as if players don't generally see too much value in getting XP, either because it's already easily available IG, or it doesn't add any inherent value to people's RP. It appears most people want something that can increase the fun in their RP or character development. Very nice suggestion, but we'd need to find a way to do it which wouldn't suck up a huge chunk of the DM team's time.

Unique items are a good start.

And fun is relative, because I can imagine character races and builds that would not be all that much fun to play for the first few levels. For example any ECL+2 race with a build that heavily multi-classes very early on and doesn't flourish until much later. Thus for such a character the larger amount of experience from a character biography might be an actual and genuine boon, and an actual alternative to just buying a few stacks of invisibility potions and rushing through the weekly quests. I would still probably rush through the weekly quests myself, as OOC as that feels, but an alternative is always an alternative.

And with some considerations, the region (language) based Background Traits do not offer anyone any mechanical advantage over other players. It is rare to encounter a player that would not speak common or undercommon. Thus the extra languages are just a role-playing advantage that could be earned through writing a character biography. Thus if a character took the Wild Child feat, they could also get "The North" Background Trait by describing in that character biography how their character grew up in the streets of Luskan, or in the made up village of 'Knob's End' 'X' miles South/North/East of Luskan. Thus a player would only have to describe early childhood behavior based on the background trait that was selected during character creation, and show some knowledge of the actual region in order to qualify for the extra Background Trait. It would be up to DMs if they wish to maintain a list of all the potential small hamlets and villages that could be found elsewhere in the Realms.

[Hoihe]

The reason is as follows: I actually like the low level content of the server far more than I do when it comes to the mid or high level content. It is just the unfortunate tendency of this server that the higher the area CR grows, the more consumables one has to acquire and use.

That was my view as well, that we'd be cutting off one of the most fun parts of the server if the XP incentive was too high.

Most of the posts here read as if players don't generally see too much value in getting XP, either because it's already easily available IG, or it doesn't add any inherent value to people's RP. It appears most people want something that can increase the fun in their RP or character development. Very nice suggestion, but we'd need to find a way to do it which wouldn't suck up a huge chunk of the DM team's time.

Unique items are a good start.

And fun is relative, because I can imagine character races and builds that would not be all that much fun to play for the first few levels. For example any ECL+2 race with a build that heavily multi-classes very early on and doesn't flourish until much later. Thus for such a character the larger amount of experience from a character biography might be an actual and genuine boon, and an actual alternative to just buying a few stacks of invisibility potions and rushing through the weekly quests. I would still probably rush through the weekly quests myself, as OOC as that feels, but an alternative is always an alternative.

And with some considerations, the region (language) based Background Traits do not offer anyone any mechanical advantage over other players. It is rare to encounter a player that would not speak common or undercommon. Thus the extra languages are just a role-playing advantage that could be earned through writing a character biography. Thus if a character took the Wild Child feat, they could also get "The North" Background Trait by describing in that character biography how their character grew up in the streets of Luskan, or in the made up village of 'Knob's End' 'X' miles South/North/East of Luskan. Thus a player would only have to describe early childhood behavior based on the background trait that was selected during character creation, and show some knowledge of the actual region in order to qualify for the extra Background Trait. It would be up to DMs if they wish to maintain a list of all the potential small hamlets and villages that could be found elsewhere in the Realms.

People can already do that.

Using Oghma/Deneir in the Nexus, you can pick both Wild Child and "The North."

You pick one on chargen, then talk to Oghma/Deneir for the other.

It's how I got Devout + Moonshae Isles.

[Most Horrible]

The more you know!

[Wolfrayne]

Honestly XP and gold are meaningless rewards for large amounts of work that would go in to a bio that lets face it, many people would likely skim over. If people are to be "coerced" in to writing more detailed stories i think the rewards should be fundamentally driven towards things that will generate story/RP

For example. How about rewarding people with a token of some kind they can turn in to a DM to have an event that is centered around the kind of RP that person would like to see which can be used to generate more stories and/or rewards depending on who else is involed and the effects it could have on the world around them.

Another option would be things like Titles and names such as perhaps you play a pirate that is well known in another part of the world and has earned some kind of name/reputation like "Tom the Bladebreaker" or how Geralt is known as the "Butcher of Blaviken"

Perhaps they have some kind of additional languages that they have learned or even some of the less balance breaking feats?

Gold and XP are too easy to come by and in the end dont really help to generate RP.

[Azroth]

Just as another idea that came to mind, a UBR ( unusual background request) system could also encourage others to get used to writing biographies, if they wanted to play a niche role.

I know for example there's been talks of seeking some allowances of some races to be on surface and others in underdark. Perhaps this could allow such, if the DM team was to look through a person's UBR, then approve on apps that seem like effort was put in. And of course remove privileges if they don't play thier applications.

I know you have some aspects of a UBR, but don't think on that level you do.