In most seafaring games i’ve been involved with the ship has become the home base for the PCs. Why not reward the PCs with some enhancements to their vessel?

1. Interesting crew members. An apprentice loremaster will trade his services (identify 3x/day) for room and board and the opportunity to gain knowledge by studying items collected by the PCs. A bard trades entertainment and chronicling of the PCs adventures for room and board. The bard spends time at every port the PCs stop at to spin tales of their recent adventures. A priest will trade healing (50 pts per day) for a chance to see the world from the deck of the Sea Wolf.

These types of NPCs can play a mechanical role for the powergamers as well as a non-mechanical role for the rest. They can be as engaged as you want them to be and can also be the source of additional adventure. You can have fun with them too (possessions, assassinations, spys, etc.).

2. Ship equipment enhancements. Teleportation stones that return the party to the ship once per X. Library on board capable of researching knowledge checks at +10 skill. Cargo bay of holding (capable of holding 2x the normal capacity).

For some, though, just gaming is reward enough. The satisfaction of a fun evening and achieving goals is the whole point of a one-shot, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy those. Why is it an assumption that RPG characters must advance in power?

…But that’s probably another topic entirely.

“3. Secrets. (or rather, The Big Secret). This works if there is a macro story arc about a world-changing Something Really Bad That’s Prophesied To Happen. Each episode, the “reward” is learning a little bit more about the Big Secret. This keeps them engaged, regardless of level.”

If the players don’t give a fig about that Big Secret, then that’s not a reward at all. It’s just huff and puff from the GM.

See the difference? If the focus is on rewarding players, engaging them in things that they interested in, then this can work. Do the players dig the Big Secrets?

Rewarding PCs is a waste of time (!) if those rewards are not congruent with player interests.

This also gives the opportunity if wished for players to try out different roles if a PC’s heir was played by a different player.

I think that there should come a time when the party isn’t doing quests to get a heap of cash any more, but are earning a regular or semi-regular income and managing assets. Granted, this may tend to turn the game into an RTS, but here’s the thing: generally you get rewards from NPC’s that are richer/more powerful than the party. This can lead to some pretty crazy escalation later on in the game.

I’d rather have it be that the party now is on a level with the biggest gameworld badasses and they’re having to assign quests to underlings and shell out rewards of their own (while trying to find time to do some adventuring on the side).

It’s basically like they’ve been promoted to management now, and they find out that not only do they have to get all their own work done, they have 18 projects they can’t handle themselves that need to get done, too.

I’m rambling because it’s late. I think I covered the basic idea.

I use an idea taken from the DM’s Guide II: magical locations as treasure. Give PCs a place where they can gain mystic access to information or healing for free (if they’re willing to make the trek) and watch how much this is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s hard to get it so it’s not too overpowering or too insignificant, but if you get it to work right, it’ll add that much depth and flavor to your campaign.

Now do that, but on a national level.

T

- Brian