Sidebar #31 – Non-Combat XP & Non-Monetary Rewards by Kim Frandsen is a role playing game supplement published by Fat Goblin Games for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
This is a six page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG for $1 but was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover and one the Open Gaming License.
Experienced Points starts by saying that awarding XP for monsters, traps and haunts is easy enough, but for other obstacles it isn’t as clear. Risk vs. Reward continues, stating that there has to be a risk for there to be a reward; not every situation is worthy of reward. Challenges can be used for action scenes, non-action scenes and diplomacy and strategy. There are tables on awarding experience points, with challenge ratings for such as skill checks for the challenge ratings.
The Issue of Rewards talks about players expecting gold for doing things, but gold isn’t always the only motivator. There is a section on just how much gold coins will weigh, something that is often overlooked. Also, if the characters always expect a reward, they will end up not being considered to be heroes, but simply people NPCs pay to do a job, then expect to leave once paid.
This then moves into rewarding characters who help out NPCs who are strapped for cash, with suggested rewards ranging from a land grant to a cake being cooked once per week – depending on who the NPC was.
Sidebar #31 – Non-Combat XP & Non-Monetary Rewards in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is short enough that they are not needed. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two column colour format and the only real problems related to the front page; the front matter, OGL and product identity text on that page is practically unreadable, because it appears to be an image that was too small and has been enlarged to the point of fuzziness rather than being text. There is a single illustration on the front cover.
D&D and derived games, such as Pathfinder, tend to have a strong XP for gold/monsters bias and this attempts to get around that. Sometimes XP rewards for non-combat and non-treasure related options are considered, but this provides a type of framework for when they are not. Similarly, it attempts to wean characters away from their often mercenary activities, by causing it to have a negative effect on their reputations, as well as provides rewards that are not easily sold, if they can be sold at all. Sidebar #31 – Non-Combat XP & Non-Monetary Rewards is an inexpensive collection of useful options that can be found by clicking here.
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