One of My TTRPG Supplements Has Gone Platinum (And a Few Others Are Close Behind)!

The past few weeks have been... an ordeal over on Drive Thru RPG. The site has been working on a huge overhaul for a long time, and it's finally removed the option for all of us to go back to the legacy version of the site. This has thrown a real spanner into the works for those of us who are writing supplements, since the new versions of the various pages aren't showing previews, and are causing headaches all around while we try to get eyes on our projects.

With all of this chaos happening, I needed a bit of good news... and I got some! Because my supplement 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern has just gone platinum!

And hopefully it's got some gas left in the tank, as well!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Going Beyond Gold

In addition to this latest accomplishment (which I didn't see coming, honestly), I've got several supplements that have reached Gold status that are still clawing their way up the metal categories on DTRPG. For example, the follow-up to this platinum seller was my Starfinder supplement 100 Characters You Might Meet in a Star Port Bar, and it broke the Gold limit a couple months back. It is one of two sci-fi supplements of mine that's made it into this category, the other being 100 Space Bars.

So check it out, if you haven't yet!

The other entries of mine that have made it into the Gold category are fantasy supplements. Leading the pack is 100 Random Taverns, which is one of the earliest pieces I wrote for Azukail Games. In addition to the tavern collection, though, there's also my supplement 100 Merchants to Encounter which, if I'm honest, is far more popular than I ever expected it to be!

Bundles, Deals, and Progress

There's no guaranteed formula when it comes to getting a TTRPG up to a bestseller spot... because if there was I would have a lot more of my entries up in the Platinum category. However, one thing that has helped almost all of these supplements is their inclusion in some long-running, pretty popular bundle deals. Which is why I wanted to call them out, and provide folks links in the event you haven't gotten your copies yet!

Those bundles are:

- Inn and Tavern Bundle (Fantasy)

- Sci Fi Bar Bundle (Sci Fi)

Numbers Set The Agenda

While this entry is largely taking a moment to pat myself on the back, and to let my regular readers know about a little milestone I recently passed, I also wanted to remind folks of something that we can sometimes forget; publishers make their decisions based on the numbers.

Love of the game is measured in dollar signs.

So if there's a particular supplement of mine (or anyone's really) that caught your eye, keep in mind that how many copies it moves (and how quickly) is one of the primary statistic that publishers will use to give readers more projects just like it. So grab a copy of the game books you like, leave a review, and share the link to boost the signal... because it's a lot easier for writers to get our proposals approved if we move a couple hundred (or a couple thousand) copies of the last installment!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Who Are The Famous Brand Names and Merchants in Your Setting?

Polyhurdis hefted the steel, getting the balance of it. He held the blade up, looking down the edge and the flat to see how straight it was. He swung it, forehand and backhand, his wrist rolling and making the steel whistle through the air.

 

"And as you can see, Sir, it still has the mark of the Berthas forge there on the blade," the merchant said, smiling a wide, obsequious smile. "A fine weapon to sit on the hip of a warrior as skilled as yourself."

 

Polyhurdis thumped the blade with his finger, and held it to his ear. He sneered, and tossed the sword at the steel merchant, who fumbled to try to catch it.

 

"Polishing pig iron doesn't make it crucible steel, fool," Polyhurdis said, turning his back on the sword seller. "Save your lies for someone who can't tell the difference between a sword and a plowshare."

 

Try to cheat me again, and I'll split your skull with that dolled-up prybar.

Brand Names, Maker's Marks, Guilds, and Companies

World building is not an easy thing to do, and all too often we will just overlook or ignore parts of it that we don't find fun, useful, or immediate. However, if you're looking for a unique twist to put on your setting that will affect both the players' experience of your world, as well as how they think about everything from their weapons and armor to the brew they order down at the tavern, it really helps to consider merchants, guilds, and the idea of brand name products or services in your setting; because everyone is looking to protect their methods, their secrets, and their good name.

Yep, looks like this is genuine Arisban steel. That changes things.

 

Consider some of the following examples

 

- When your dwarven sellsword bellies up to the bar, does she just order an ale? Or does she ask if the keep has Red Mountain, bottled and sold by the Rolling Hill clan?

 

- When your swordsman is looking to upgrade to a masterwork blade, do they just want a +1 to hit, or do you give them a choice between weapons forged by the artisans at Garrus Foundry and the Crimson Mark Forge, each of which are considered some of the finest in weapon craft?

 

- If the wizard comes across a potent protective medallion in a dungeon is it just a magic item, or is there a mark on the inside lip bearing the sigil of the Averdius Acadamae, a school so famous for its craftsmanship that though it's a thousand years in the dust it is still considered the standard to which enchanters should aspire?

Brand names, company reputations, or even items that are manufactured only with a guild seal-of-approval can all add to your setting. Whether it's just a cool background detail, something used as a signifier of status, or a clue as to the origin of a particular piece of treasure, these make your game's world feel more organic.

 

Also, before you go any further, consider signing up for my weekly newsletter to make sure you don't miss any of my updates!

You Can Make It As Important As You Want

The thing with notable manufacturers, companies, brands, guilds, etc. is that you can make them as big of a deal (or not) as you want them to be. For example, in my post "Secrets of The Viking Sword" is a Documentary About How To Make a Masterwork Weapon, I talk about the Ulfbehrt swords. These were some of the highest quality swords ever wielded by Norsemen during the Viking age, and when compared to iron age blades they would have been seen as just this side of magical. As such they were a huge symbol of both status and prowess, and someone who carried an Ulfbehrt sword was, generally speaking, not someone you wanted to screw with.

I'm just saying... maybe we should try Diplomacy...

If all you want for your famous manufacturers and trusted brands to do is act as signs of quality while sitting in the background, you can leave it at that. However, you can take it a step further and use these brands as plot points, or even a way to outfit your party if you so desire.

As far as plot goes, let's return to the example of the Ulfbehrt sword. Only a select number of sword smiths knew the secret to making them, but there were a lot of individuals who were making knock-off blades that were average quality, but had a faux maker's mark on them. The Viking equivalent of that $10 Rolex you got from a guy selling stuff off a blanket in the Bronx. If there's a plague of knock-offs being sold and traded in the city, it could be eroding confidence in a particular foundry's name and product. As such, they'd make an ideal client for a party of investigators tasked with finding out who is creating this flood of substandard steel so they can be stopped.

And as for outfitting your party? Well, as Factinate points out, ancient gladiators often endorsed products the same way that professional athletes do today. So if your party did a great service, or achieved celebrity in some way, then you could probably skip giving them gold in lieu of giving them gifts from noted brands, merchants, or guilds. If the PCs accomplished something very publicly, such as winning a tournament, or defending an important member of the gentry, they might even receive a uniquely commissioned gift from said guild, merchant house, etc. Or even if you were doing something smaller, such as taking on freelance jobs for a guild, part of the reward for service might be that they provide the party with an operating budget, giving them access to an armory, transportation, places to stay, access to guild facilities, etc.

This approach helps remove all the coin counting and hauling around huge amounts of gold, but without cutting into your adventuring budget. Additionally, for those who are looking for some premade additions to their game they can slot into the background, you may wish to check out the following supplements by yours truly:

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: This one is Electrum verging on Gold at time of writing, and while there are a lot of independent merchants and caravan drovers, there are more than a few franchise holders and larger businesses in here as well.

- 100 Fantasy Guilds: A Silver seller that was quite popular when it first dropped, these guilds cover a wide range of trades and manufacturing that might crop up in your game. From arms and armor, to spells, bookbinding, spices, mining, and more, it will save you a lot of work in plotting your setting's corporate influences!

 

Also, consider checking out an old favorite from Dungeon Keeper Radio... Vanguard Tower Shields!

 

 

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Unique Currencies Can Add A Lot To Your Game World

Hargrave sat nervously at the table in the rear of the tavern. He'd been told to wait, and wait he had, nursing a tarred jack of sour wine and trying not to grimace. When the man in the black hood entered, Hargrave pretended not to notice him. The man didn't speak, but Hargrave told him what he'd seen in a low whisper. When he'd told everything he knew, the man nodded, stood, and went the way he'd come. Sitting on the scarred tabletop, gleaming dully in the firelight, was a single, thick coin. Heavy as only gold was heavy, Hargrave saw the profile of an old man in a tall hat, and smiled.

Golden bishops were rare in this quarter, and now that he had one, he could afford to drink something a little sweeter than this cup of vinegar.

A Gilded Wraith? Friend, I'd sell you both my sisters, if you had one of those to pay.

What's Currency Like In Your Setting?

Most fantasy games out there use a pretty familiar system of metal coding to determine the value of a currency; copper, silver, and gold. Sometimes you use platinum for something even more valuable than gold, and sometimes you throw in weird metals like electrum, but those Olympic metals are the baseline for most in-game currency. And why not? They're easy to remember, and they happen to correspond to a system we're all pretty familiar with.

But if you've been looking for a way to add a touch more detail to your world, consider adding a few details to the money your players see, handle, and spend.

A golden mother? Where did you say you were from again, stranger?

Every kingdom and country is going to have their own, unique currency, even if they're made of the same material and have roughly equivalent values. After all, gold is gold, and you can still buy a fresh sword and new armor with it no matter how old it is. But can the money in someone's pocket give you clues about who they are? Or tip you off about something you should have noticed?

For example, say your party has just been given a job, and were paid up-front to take care of a small matter. Some might just tuck the coins away sight unseen, but one party member might notice the coins are stamped with a peacock and an elephant. Not only are these coins from far away, they also come from the nation this country is currently embroiled in a cold war with. While it will spend just as well as any other gold, it might draw suspicion, and get you marked as enemy agents. It might also tip the party off that their employer is either very far-traveled, or may be embroiled in deeper affairs than they can see.

Alternatively, say that you see someone paying for services with very old coins. Not just decades, but centuries old. Gold is still gold, but that minting date, the stamp, and the wear indicates that these coins likely came from a treasure hoard, rather than from daily labor. Where did it come from? An old pot dug up from a field that is unknowingly atop an ancient ruin? Found in the shallows, washed up from the sea? Or is this person a strange, fey creature in disguise who doesn't know that this gold is suspicious to those looking for such details?

You don't have to change up the money people are using by switching from copper, silver, and gold to magic gems, or trading the bones of particular beasts (though feel free to do that if you want to). You just need to fill in the details of what makes the coins from one place different from the coins from somewhere else.

Themes, Appearance, and Style

The other day I was browsing, and saw a conversation about currency. One of the suggestions was to make coins based off of chess pieces... and that is a perfect example of how you can craft a small detail that immediately makes your setting feel that much more real.

Coppers are called pawns, while a five-piece would be a rook. Silver knights are worth ten pawns each, and golden bishops are the most expensive currency most are likely to see in their lives. Platinum queens might be carried by the very rich, while a king is less of a coin, and more a measure of wealth used to pay bills by governments, and families of extreme wealth. The kind of money you'd use to cover an army of 10,000 soldiers, or to pay a debt for that season's grain purchase.

You could even use the coins as pieces, gambling with them in a game of strategy... long as you have a king stand-in.

Those coins immediately give this nation a personality, and allow you to start making flavorful associations.  It also uses a system that's simple to learn, and if you want to have some extra fun, you can use physical chess pieces as a way to keep track of bennies in your game. More about how that might work in If You Haven't Tried A Bennies System, You Should Give It A Shot.

There are all sorts of hierarchies you could use to tie your currency to the themes of a given country to make their money feel more unique. You might have a system based on animals, with gilded lions at the top, and copper hares at the bottom. You could have coins that look more like poker chips, with the suits just as important as the metal in determining their worth in the Four-Winds Nation. You could even have coins that feature monsters, gods, and heroes if you want to put a little lore into each transaction, or give players a hint that certain coins are out-of-the-ordinary, and might be a clue to something deeper.

And that's before you even get into strange and unique coins, like the Coin of The Realm, which legally excuses the bearer of any crime short of regicide, and is detailed in the supplement A Baker's Dozen of Rumours (And The Truth Behind Them) from Azukail Games.

It's Just One More Option

Since I know there will be some DMs out there who feel this is somehow calling them out for not paying attention to which imaginary figures have their imaginary portraits stamped on imaginary coins that only exist as a metric for who can buy the most powerful imaginary stuff, let me be clear. If you have no interest in putting extra detail into the coins, gems, or other currency your party comes across, that's fine. You aren't committing some grievous sin of world building.

However, it is one more aspect of the world that you can use to get information to your players, and to make the world they're in feel that much more unique.

That's all for this Fluff installment. Hopefully it got a few gears turning out there! If you'd like to see more of my work then head over to my Vocal archive, or click my Gamers page just to see my tabletop stuff. You should also check out Dungeon Keeper Radio, a YouTube channel where I get together with other gamers to make videos for dungeon masters and players alike.

To stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you'd like to support me, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or going to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron. Lastly, if you'd like to get your hands on some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, you should head over to My Amazon Author Page!

Instead of Gold, Why Not Give Players What They Actually Want?

How many times have your players slain the troll, defeated the wicked cult, or successfully put the corrupted crypt guardian to rest, only to find hundreds of pounds of raw treasure? Chests full of silver, coffers crammed with gold, and sacks of raw gems that are worth a fortune... once you haul them back to civilization, that is.

There's how much?! Woo, boy, I hope you've been doing your squats, Ragnar.

Even if your game ignores encumbrance rules, it can be frustrating to sit down and do the bean counting for changing your copper and silver into gold, selling off your gems, and doing all the conversions just so the party can turn around and commission magic items, spending almost all of the treasure you just gave them. So ask yourself why you're bothering with all that hairy change when, instead, you could just give your players what they're going to buy anyway, sweetened with a little pocket and saving money?

Rewards They Won't Want To Hock

If your players are going to get magic items, chances are good they already have one or two specifics in mind. Your fighter's going to want a weapon of the type he specializes in (or just likes), your wizard's going to want a stat booster, your monk will want an amulet of mighty fists, etc., etc.

So instead of making them carefully save their allowances, just give them what they want in an appropriately-leveled hoard.

A full adamantine suit! Dibs!

This strategy might require a bit of balancing on your part as the DM (since you're the one handing out toys), but it accomplishes several things. First and foremost, it allows you to make the items they use feel special. It's not just a random flaming scimitar that they traded a bunch of gold for; it's a dragon fang, one of the weapons wielded by the founders of the Sisters of Fire they discovered in a lost catacomb. That circlet that increases the magus's intelligence? That was forged for use by the commanders of the Arcane Army of Za-Los, and stolen by ghouls that you slew in the collapsed citadel.

And so on and so forth.

Finding these items gives you the ability to give them a story, and to tie that story to your players. That makes the loot feel special, and it incorporates it into the PCs' personal stories. In some cases, they might even become a signature piece of gear, or the characters may become so attached to the items they're reluctant to part with them even if they find something mechanically stronger.

Even better, if they don't need to hock their old stuff to be able to get more gold to buy the new stuff, then they can keep those treasures they've used without worrying if it's hampering their progress.

There are other benefits of using this strategy, as well. The first is that you no longer have players hoarding their gold coins and misering over them (to the point that they're still hunting their own food and sleeping in the wild even though there's an inn less than an hour away in a well-guarded city). If they want to spend money on getting fancy dress clothes, a house to live in, or the trappings of the treasure hunter, that isn't going to be what prevents them from getting that suit of armor they're going to need when they face that big dragon in two more levels.

Second, this prevents you from having to come up with how your players managed to find someone capable of crafting a +3 wounding short spear in the middle of forest country. Especially when they don't have the time for such an item to be made, according to the rules, as crafting objects of power isn't something you can do over a lunch break. Because sure, there are merchants who deal in specialized items (and I even made some of them for 100 Merchants to Encounter), schools of arcane learning where such crafters might be found... but it just doesn't feel as special as finding it right after you did the task for which you're being rewarded.

Hell, an industrious player might even grab the item during the fight if they're facing the ghoul king in his throne room, or fighting a dragon in the cave with its hoard.

How You Can Get These Items To Your Players

The obvious way to do this is to sit down with your players, and ask what sort of course you see their characters taking as they play (or just watching their play style to predict which items would be the most useful for their characters). Then, once you have their wish list (or a pretty good guess as to what would be on it), you sprinkle the items around the dungeons they crawl through. Perhaps the bandit captain is wielding a masterwork longsword he took from a slain knight. In a secret compartment of the crumbling Aethril Keep you find an enchanted bow made for the Commander of the Watch, and hidden away to keep his enemies from finding it.

And so on, and so forth.

There are other ways to slip your players some goodies, too. One is the idea of the legacy weapon. Because sure, when the fighter first found that sword, it was clearly of masterwork quality. However, as they fought and slew with it, something inside the sword slowly woke. Runes began to appear along the fuller, drinking in the blood it spilled. As it grows, the edge becomes keen, and the steel begins to glow a malevolent red when battle is joined. It heals the wielder, and then once it has drunk enough blood, the consciousness within it awakens to properly meet the who has broken its slumber.

Not every magic item needs to be huge and epic, though. For example, slaying the Hound of Hellfire Marsh and saving the local populace from its predations may not net you much in the way of treasure... that is, until the local lord thanks you for your service. Depending on his wealth, he may offer the party the services of his armorers, the pick of his beasts, or even give them objects that have long been held in his family, but not used in generations. A ring born by General Cassadar wrought in the shape of a shield, and which acts as a ring of protection +2, for example. Or, perhaps there's a deeper secret of a wizard takes it as a bonded item. A simple knight's brooch that, when the word is spoken, unfolds to cover the wearer in a suit of fine plate armor.

And stuff like that.

Whether your rewards come from a merchant prince, the royal family, a wizard's college, a swamp witch, or even a farmer who inherited the item from ten generations back, the point is that it feels more like a reward, and less like a purchase you just made. And there are untold numbers of ways you can make it work. Return a hatchling to its mother, get your choice of item from the dragon's trove. Free a genie from bondage, be allowed to wish for something within a limited range. Be accepted into a certain order, and get the right to wear/wield the items associated with membership.

Just remember, you don't always have to give your players exactly what they want. Make it unexpected, sometimes. Throw in some extra goodies. You know your paladin wants a holy avenger, but make him work his way up to it. You know your warpriest uses a morning star, and has all their feats specc'd for that weapon, so get creative with the kind of enchantments are on the weapon(s) they find. Your bard wears leather armor, but if they came across some enchanted mithril they wouldn't say no. Don't give them completely random stuff they won't be able to use, because then you're right back to the adventurer pawn shop. If they're employed by a powerful organization, let the rent out certain potent items for dangerous journeys, neatly side-stepping the issue of how much gold it cost them to get said item.

And, every few levels, ask them what sort of stuff they're on the look out for. Just to give you fresh fodder the next time they do something worthy of a significant reward.

If you enjoyed this bit of advice, then you might also find some value in the following posts:

- Run Smoother, More Enjoyable Games (By Removing XP)

- For Tighter Games, Consider Nixing Random Encounters

- All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Non-Monetary Rewards For Your RPG Party

That's all for this week's installment of Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully it gave some folks out there some ideas, and got the wheels turning! If you'd like to see more of my work, head over to my Vocal author page, or just go to my Gamers page if you want to see only my tabletop stuff. You could also stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help in bringing the world of Evora to life. If you want to get updates on all of my content, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, I can't keep this blog running without all of your support. So consider giving me a one-time tip by Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or signing up as a patron on The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to give me a little something every month.

Or, if you're hankering for a good read, head over to My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife!

All That Glitters is Not Gold: Non-Monetary Rewards For Your RPG Party

Congratulations, you've conquered another dungeon! You've defeated the Beast of Brackenbridge, slain the wicked cult that brought it sacrifices, and laid to rest the victims of this vile monster. Your reward? A magic sword, and as much gold as you can carry. Again.

Sure, I guess. If that's all they've got.

The first few times players get this reward they're ecstatic. They're low-level adventurers who've been scraping by on a few spare copper pieces, and all of a sudden they're flush with cash and armed to the teeth. But how many times can you get the same reward before it loses its meaning? Three times? Five? How long before even epic level weapons (even ones created with this unique, alternative system for making magic weapons and armor) and enough gold to buy a country just feels like a ho-hum reward for your dragon slaying?

If you really want to keep your players interested, give them something they can't buy.

What Are You Talking About?

I'm glad you asked, bold Italic text. What I'm talking about is the concept of a non-numerical reward; something beyond XP, gold, and calculated magic items. These rewards aren't found on a table, and they don't require any number crunching on your part as the DM. Despite that though, these rewards may be what players talk about for years to come when they sit down to tell people about the coolest things their characters ever accomplished.

Status

Great deeds come with great rewards, but one of the most common rewards that gets left out of any game is a promotion. Take the cleric for instance. After serving faithfully and defeating the enemies of the church it would make sense for the lowly priest to be raised up to the position of chaplain, herald, or even Commander of the Faith. The post would come with increased responsibility, but it would also come with better quarters, access to more of the church's resources, and even lower-ranking priests to delegate responsibilities to.

Personal bodyguards in silly outfits are not out of the question.

The same is true no matter what game you're playing. Modern fantasy characters might be knighted by the faerie court, and given rank and power as well as access to the world between (actually being knighted is pretty damn cool no matter what game you're running). High fantasy warriors might be granted titles and land, elevated from sell swords to lords and ladies complete with heraldry and fiefdoms to oversee. Even something as simple as being moved up the ladder from patrolman to detective (sergeant to captain, watchman to inquisitor, etc., etc.) is a reward that will add more to the story and character development than any number of mechanical macguffins.

Reputation

Actions have consequences, and one of those consequences is a reputation. Whatever a character or a party does is going to leave its marks on them and on the world, whether for good or for ill. A pious quick draw specialist who always gets the first shot off may be known as the God's Gun. An acrobatic knife fighter known for her use of envenomed blades might earn the title of the Cobra Queen, the Poison Woman, or the Pestilent Princess. A heavy-handed gangland enforcer might earn the word "iron" before his name, and a slick-talking rogue who could make you believe anything might be dubbed The Salesman.

No one asked why they called Yuri the Horn Blower.

Fame or infamy, if you have a character who's done anything then that character is going to be known for that act by someone. The bigger the actions characters take, the bigger that reputation is going to loom. At earlier parts of the campaign characters might just be known by a small quarter of a city, or maybe by a small town. Once the party really hits its stride and the tales start getting told characters should be hard-pressed to go somewhere they are't recognized (unless they take steps like not wearing signature pieces of gear, disguising their faces, or making sure that the bards telling stories give purposefully false descriptions of the characters in question).

Giving characters a reputation among certain parts of the game world makes them feel more organic. It might also mean they can avoid some fights (since no one wants to challenge the Coffin Maker to a duel), get special treatment, or be sought out by plot hook NPCs who require men and women of their skills and abilities.

Following

Anyone who gains fame will also develop a following. A knight of great renown might draw crowds to a tournament if word gets out that he'll be riding in the joust, for instance. An infamous wizard might find acolytes at her door, begging for the privilege of becoming her apprentice. Characters who have renown, good or ill, will inevitably have people who want to learn from them, be like them, and pledge themselves to that character's service.

The Bowman's Children are not to be trifled with.

Sure there are ways to gain followers mechanically. Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, World of Darkness, Savage Worlds, all of these game systems and many more besides provide ways for your character to have a set number of followers. However, while characters can use these rules to buy followers, simply purchasing them can be more mechanics than roleplay oriented. This is the primary reason many storytellers won't let players use these rules to add more characters to the party; in the wrong hands these rules can be bent till they scream.

The point is that a following and followers are similar, but different. If a character has followers then that means a player has a specific set of NPCs he or she can call on, and it can put a small army at a PC's beck and call. A following on the other hand can be an amorphous pool of people who are there for roleplay purposes, but whose mechanical capacity is entirely up to the storyteller. Followers can be bought, but a following is earned as a product of roleplay and a character's actions in the story.

But What About Loot?

What about it?

Ooooh... what does this do?

No one said to stop giving players magic items, XP, and money (again though, you might want to consider these alternative systems for generating magic weapons and armor to keep things interesting). I'd be willing to bet that special items, whether they're super-science gadgets in Spycraft or enchanted steel in the Iron Kingdoms, will always be a solid present for your players. But if you want to keep them interested and striving as hard as they can it's a good idea to create some rewards tailored to fit what they've accomplished in game so far.

And for DMs who just want lower-cost loot that is worth less than a gold piece (but which is still useful while adding flavor to your game), you might want to check out 100 Pieces of Miscellaneous Tat To Find. I wrote this guide for Azukail Games some time back, and it's ideal for giving treasure that isn't really all that valuable. The original was written for Pathfinder, but there's a system-neutral version, too.

I'm not suggesting you give status, reputation, and position instead of loot... rather, try to diversify the rewards you give your players. Because these kinds of non-monetary achievements let them feel like they're having an effect on the game world rather than just playing through a pre-determined set of rails with occasional loot drops. That individual attention, and an award tailored specifically to a given gaming experience, is something you won't be able to find on a random rolling table.

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