#RPGaDay2025 - Day 31 - Reward

Amusing, after yesterday's "Experience" we follow up with "Reward," and I'm looking at more of the tangible items in the campaign.

Classic D&D was simple.  Modern D&D is different but simple. Heck, we've had random charts and reference points for years to determine, treasure, precious objects, weapons, and whatnot.   Some folks like the regimented structure of physical rewards per level.  

Me?  I'm all over the place.  

Although BECMI D&D was notorious for giving out 2,000 copper pieces in one room, and a +1 axe in the next, my Adventures in Gulluvia was such low risk, that the magic items and coins were pretty tame.  

Except for one item: the Broom of the Mountain Lord (Broom of Flying), that I randomly rolled on the chart.   It became a handy escape mechanism (and source of party stress) for the magic items's owner, and, as we learned in this months Actual Plays, led to the party's failure.

In our Gamma World campaign, perhaps Treasures of the Ancients might have a random generation table, and that might be better than some Ancient tech that pops up randomly in published modules.  

I've run 3rd and 4th Edition modules, as well as a number of other sources, most notably Gamma Zine.  The group has accumulated a vast arsenal of ancient tech, using different power cells, different stats, and worst of all, they have enough of that tech where they put a new item aside multiple missions before finally trying to figure out what it does, and even my code system to reference older adventures hasn't been full proof.

And then there's Star Wars.  A lot of the published modules (West End/FFG/WotC) have swag.  I know they have swag because I reference character sheets and a litany of acquired gear shows up, like (cybernetic eye, unused).   Outside of the ship, and the equipment needed to be Imperial Animal Brokers/Black Market Smugglers, the PCs never sought out anything.

Except Vid-Screen Dinners, you know, the type you throw in Nanowave to warm up.  They made it their mission to stock the pantry with Vid-Screen dinners with the Space Cobbler for desert. Screw the Space Brownie!

Yeah, that's kinda weird to end #RPGaDAy2025 with, but it's true.