End of Session questions
Change the question
“Did we learn something new and important about the world?”
to
“Did we cross a threshold into new and unknown danger?”
It still deals with discovery. But, suddenly the players get points not for their philosophical musings, but for penetrating deeper, more dangerous areas and exploring the unknown.
What questions have you changed, whether for a session or for a campaign? How did it affect play for better or worse?
“Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?” –> “Did we overcome a notable challenge?”
“Did we loot a memorable treasure?” –> “Did we gain a memorable reward?”
Thanks, Thomas Schellenberg. I’m guessing these were questions you used for more than just 1 session. Is that right? I’m curious how it affected play?
Yes, they were campaign changes. From my perspective as the GM, it allowed me to expand the content of our sessions, so I didn’t feel limited to overcoming monsters or looting treasure.
If we spent a session without fighting enemies, but the PCs successfully persuaded the monarch to help them, or they solved a hard puzzle, they could still earn End of Session XP (if those events were notable and challenging). Likewise if they earned a notable non-monetary reward, like useful knowledge or reputation.
Sure, using RAW, I could still run these sessions, but the PCs would be missing out on some XP that I personally think they deserve. The current End of Session rewards are focused on traditional dungeon delving; this is fine for many people, but I want to facilitate a broader range of adventures.