Troll Lord Games

How do people feel about awarding powers instead of treasure, especially at the higher levels?

Lets say a dwarfen fighter instead of finding a +4 axe finds the forgotten hidden manual of a past hero of his clan and learns the secret technique of cutting through magic.

Would you allow sth like this in your campaign? Do you think it would improve the game?

Not exactly my cup of tea, but if it adds fun to your game and doesn't throw things out of whack, I'd say "Do it!".
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Perhaps mix it up, do a little of both. Whatever works for your group.
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But dark is the path appointed for thee:

The Dead watch the road that leads to the sea.-The Two Towers

That sounds really cool, actually!

I'd make it more story-ish, like you said in your examply, tying into the characters themselves.

I say, that's very very cool.

but that's just me.
Like the others have said, if you like, it, do it, it's your game.
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"Relaxo"

My only problem with it is that is something I would not be able to steal or destroy if I found it to be too powerful for the game. Other than that it sounds cool to me.
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I do not always like the idea of tailoring the world to suit the players and their characters, which would be somewhat required for this to work. For example, it might seem strange for a dwarf barbarian to find some sort of empowerment focus out on an abandoned island. I suppose that can also make it fun, leastwise for the Castle Keeper.
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Serl's Corner

Treebore wrote:
My only problem with it is that is something I would not be able to steal or destroy if I found it to be too powerful for the game. Other than that it sounds cool to me.

If they're divinely granted, the god can always change it's mind. or be killed by other gods. or every cultist in the land can hunt down the god's mortal carrier until they relent the power, the only way to drop "off the radar" so to speak....

it can be done.
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"Relaxo"

While I believe a CnC game is low powered enough to do this without much modification, I'd advise to NOT do a "new power balanced with new disadvantage" tactic.

I had one GM do that and it was annoying.

Hmmm....interesting idea in concept, but;

that way lies dragons.
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DeadReborn wrote:
Perhaps mix it up, do a little of both. Whatever works for your group.

That was the idea (in my head anyway), a mix of both.

PC's seems to find it much more rewarding to have a special power or skill than a magic item, even when the said magic item is better than the power or skill.

Ofcourse careful consideration of what power to give is required lest, as Treeborne says, the pc becomes a problem.

serleran wrote:
I do not always like the idea of tailoring the world to suit the players and their characters, which would be somewhat required for this to work. For example, it might seem strange for a dwarf barbarian to find some sort of empowerment focus out on an abandoned island. I suppose that can also make it fun, leastwise for the Castle Keeper.

Perhaps my example gives the impression that the gift must have something to do with the pc's backround but it could as easily be sth that has absolutely nothing to do with him (but still everything to do with the Castle Keepers story).

For example Siegfried in the Niebelungenlied bathes himself in the blood of a dragon. (Actually writing this reminds me of serleran idea with monster booty). So nothing to do with his backround everything to do with the story.

Now the trick is how to actually do it, which begs the question has anyone actually tried it?

Yes, I have done this, recently, in fact. But, it was such a convoluted plot that it really makes little sense to those who did not play it... and even they're wondering what of it really happened. Or, if it ever happened.

Anyway, on a trip through the subconscious of a lich, the barbarian encountered the living manifestation of death, and after a brief battle decided it was better to not try to defeat it. Instead, the barbarian offered his services in exchange for whatever Death wanted... and so, Death knighted him, giving him the power to see the timeline of those still living (I use the deathwatch spell which is what this was, made permanent) and commanded him that, when the line was red, it was the barbarian's duty to finish the creature effectively making him an angel of death. The assassin-illusionist offered her gifts too, and Death handed her a book and told her to read "page 18." She read it, performed the requisite sacrifices and so forth and then promptly lost all levels as an illusionist, replacing them with fighter instead -- this was my wife's character and she had grown bored and overwhelmed with trying to play a spellcaster (too many options and it is very hard to be an illusionist as your first 'slinger anyway), and so I thought that might get her more interested in the game.... every PC has had something happen to them to dramatically change them: one human bard/rogue wound up being a drow druid (thanks to magic jar and a ring of wishes) and the cleric is now a wizard (he made a deal with Baphomet, without even realizing, or caring, who/what it was.)

He (the barbarian) has since lost this ability due to donning a cursed helmet (it removed his eyes) and has yet to know what ramifications there are for disobeying Death, if there even are any... because for all they know, they're still in Dreamland.

Yeah, convoluted is probably an understatement.
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Serl's Corner

Actually some of my most fun and interesting sessions were convoluted and sounds that this one was a blast of a session.

That said the way I see it only the barbarian got a special power.

Anyway seems I will experiment with the idea in my own game and maybe then post some of my findings here.