Out Now on the DMs Guild
Wintry Blast |
Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of Inspiration. It was one of the cool things I told my friends about when 5e first launched. I went on and on about the Personality Traits, Ideals, Flaws, Bonds and how they can be used in the game for a mechanical advantage. Here we are, seven years later, and I feel kind of let down by how it all actually panned out. I've tried lots of variations, including passing out tangible poker chips, requiring that the use of Inspiration be tied to some character trait or background element. These tweaks have worked temporarily or with certain players, but in the end, it just becomes another blah thing. Recently, I've started using Heroic Challenge cards by Loresmyth (this post is in no way sponsored by them, I just really like the product and this idea). I really think this set of cards can make for a better, more interactive experience. Here is an example of a Challenge card: in my games, each player starts life with one of these cards. As you can see, each card has two options on it. All you have to do is achieve one of the two "tasks" to earn a Reward card. Here is an example of a Reward card: Just like the Challenge cards, the Reward cards have two options. Players can cash these in whenever the opportunity arises for the stated effect.
The idea is that the Challenge cards will inspire players to do things outside of the norm, like instead of just charging in to attack, lure away the enemy as in the example. They should make for good roleplay opportunities as well as players have to creatively fit them into the given situations. I, as the DM, don't know what cards my players have so it is on them to "make it work." Of course, they might find themselves holding on to a card for quite some time, just waiting for the opportunity to use it. As I said, I start all my players with one Challenge card at character creation. They can earn additional cards in a number of ways, such as: good roleplaying, cinematic fighting, clutch roles, dramatic slayings and so on. A character can have an unlimited number of Challenge cards stowed at a time, the balance of which carries over between sessions. Likewise, a character can have an unlimited number of Reward cards stowed at a time, the balance of which also carries over between sessions. Circling back to earning additional Challenge cards, it is still important for the DM to pass these things out when the time is right. If the fighter rolls a crit to slay a big baddie, I'd give them a card. If the rogue comes through with a clutch stealth check at a very tense and crucial moment, here's a card. Note, I'm passing out the Challenge cards, not the Reward cards here. Reward cards can only be earned by successfully completing a Challenge. The real fun comes when player's figure out ways of using the cards (both Challenge and Reward). It helps keep everyone engaged at the table and it actually encourages roleplay...the whole idea behind Inspiration to begin with!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorD&D 5e enthusiast. Creator on DMsguild. Supporter of creators, content and good times. Follow me on Twitter @rjquestgiver Archives
July 2021
Categories |