Thursday, November 13, 2008

Motivation: If giving does not work, maybe taking will...

In an earlier post I wrote about how I had problems getting the players to contribute. In particular I wanted them to write a short journal of what happened during each session. So I could use this information as reference in the future.

In different campaigns it has always worked to award the player XP, for doing this. But when I think about it this is campaigns were I was a player and not the storyteller. Maybe it's just me that is easily bribed with XP. After five consecutive sessions with no journal written by the players I decided to try something new. I wrote a short journal my self, which I always do if the players dosn't. I made a comment in a comment field of the wiki that their arch nemesis had been awarded 40xp for the journal entry. I made sure all the players saw the comment. The very next session a player wrote a journal....and gained the customary 2xp. The question is if there is a cause - effect relation or if it was a pure coincident.

40xp is alot, in OWD. Having said that, the storyteller usually is given the privelege of increasing the NPC's stats as he sees fit. The only difference now was that I informed the players that I did.

I hope the effect will last, but that remains to see.

3 comments:

Anne said...

You forgot to mention that you just "happened" to award these 40 XP to the single most hated NPC in that campaign :P

Anne said...

Sorry, I guess I'm blind enough to overlook "arch nemesis". Anyways, I fully expect that the next time this happens, the XP goes to the very much loved NPC Naila. (who, for those you might read it without actually playing in the campaign, just happens to be my character's daughter :P)

Unknown said...

was thinking that next time it might be Steinthor Skjegglaus the Einherjar....