How do your players typically handle their bonds?
My group of 5 players filled out every bond during the first session, averaging 4 bonds per character and usually with 1 bond to each other character. This lead to a lot of great backstory and world-building. However, since that time they’ve been very hesitant to finish bonds, and they often tiptoe around them instead of really pushing on them when they come up in play.
For example:
* Player A is afraid that Player B might discover A’s terrible secret. However, when B read his mind and A got to choose a secret to divulge, he tossed out something minor and unrelated.
* Player C thinks player D is weak. Over 6 sessions, C has watched D and generally said, “Yes, this is good evidence to support changing my mind… but I need a little more.”
Early on, the players expressed worry that resolving their bonds would dry up the reasons they have for adventuring together, or that making new bonds beyond the initial world-building session would be awkward. I assume neither of those facts are true, but we still haven’t bumped into it.
So I’m looking for feedback on how others (both GMs and players) deal with bonds on a session-to-session basis, and maybe even some ways to help show my players how resolving their bonds more often can be a good thing.
Remind the heroes that they are dynamic characters and their relationships will evolve over time. At end of session, look for ways to fit bonds to session highlights – even if it’s not exact, when the heroes remember that badass moment from earlier in the night, they’ll be like, “Yeah we deserve XP for that!” Then be free with suggestions for new bonds that are incrementally different as opposed to paradigm-shifting.
So would you recommend just telling the players when they’ve resolved a bond? So far I’ve been letting them tell me whether they think they’ve resolved one or not.
Don’t worry about it. If your players don’t really want to engage that part of the system it won’t break anything. I personally like the tasty XP but everyone loves different stuff.
I tend to agree with Tim Franzke. If your players aren’t interested in resolving Bonds, it’s no big deal. If your players want to keep their original Bonds because they feel they’re what’s holding the party together, that’s fine.
Just keep asking if anyone’s Bonds have been resolved at the end of each session as part of the End of Session move. Make the players aware that they can resolve Bonds if they wish to, but don’t make them feel as if they have to do so.
I’m one of those player who likes to keep the bonds as they are, for lot of sessions, if I don’t really feel the relationship with the other character is really changed. Don’t rash with them, don’t chase the easy XP if you aren’t fully sure.
the bond really needs to change for me. if character A thinks character B is weak. i dont care if B does a few strong things, he needs to convince A that his character is strong always and not just by saying “i killed the dragon i am strong” . character B needs to get up in Character A’s face and say “man what is your problem with me!?! lets settle this now and forever. armwrestle! the loser cuts off his thumb!!” after that of course A has to accept that B is strong. and you have a new bond “i hate B for embarassing me and makeing me cut off my thumb”