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One of my players in my PbP game asked about increasing their Standing. But I don't hand out Treasure very much, we are primarily on the western side of Mirkwood which means we are dealing with Treasure poor communities and I'm not much for having the PCs for chasing gold anyways.

So what about using XP to pay for Standing, ie the PC uses their experience to increase their reputation instead of their self. If I do this, I will be a little more generous with XP. What do y'all think of this idea?

I think it is a good idea.

According to the rules, a character raises his/her standing by giving back to the community. In my opinion, there are different ways you can give back. Of course the easy way is to give money, but one can also spend time and effort in such an endeavor so I would completely consider other options. XP is one.

I also suggest that fellowship phases, time permitting, may be put to such use. What if a character decides to go home and not heal corruption but instead gives back to others (which in a way is very noble and should heal corruption, but that is another story...)? What if a fellowship phase lasts 2 months? If a character takes the whole two months serving in soup kitchens and rebuilding Dale, wouldn't he/she be entitled to a raise in standing? However, the way I envision it, non-monetary contributions can only take you so far and at some point you'll have to spend money to raise your standing further. In game terms, I think that going from 2 to 3 and higher (or 3 to 4, I am not sure on this one) takes treasure points as per the regular rules.

Zed:

Instead of awarding more treasure, what about reducing the cost of increasing standing, at least for the first couple levels?

Ooh...another idea just hit me...what about tying in standing to calling? So for example, a slayer improves standing by killing stuff, a scholar by discovering things, warden by protecting people or communities, a wanderer by going far off places and returning with stories and treasure hunter by donating money or other relics?

Yes I like it. This is going in my unofficial house rules document.

There is, in Heart of the Wild, an option for reducing the cost of standing increases by use of a fellowship phase undertaking. (It can shave up to 12 treasure points off the cost.) That can get you status 1 for free...if you're a woodman, and can roll 2x6's on the required skill roll; it cannot be stocked up.

The other option is to make use of the holdings rules in Darkening, and allow a fellowship undertaking to make some treasure, as well.

Rocmistro wrote:Ooh...another idea just hit me...what about tying in standing to calling? So for example, a slayer improves standing by killing stuff, a scholar by discovering things, warden by protecting people or communities, a wanderer by going far off places and returning with stories and treasure hunter by donating money or other relics?

Yes I like it. This is going in my unofficial house rules document.

I use Renown in my game to do that and have Standing as a way of measuring the material status of the PC.

Rocmistro wrote:Zed:

Instead of awarding more treasure, what about reducing the cost of increasing standing, at least for the first couple levels?

Ooh...another idea just hit me...what about tying in standing to calling? So for example, a slayer improves standing by killing stuff, a scholar by discovering things, warden by protecting people or communities, a wanderer by going far off places and returning with stories and treasure hunter by donating money or other relics?

Yes I like it. This is going in my unofficial house rules document.

So I'm thinking that fulfilling a calling could provide a temporary a Standing boost as you show the community you're not just a dreamer but a doer of deeds. For example, a Warden that defeated an enemy of an attribute level higher than the Warden's Valour in the prior Adventuring Phase could spend 3 (1?) XP and their undertaking in the next FP to temporarily raise their Standing by 1. Do that three times and your Standing goes up permanently. Treasure Hunters that haul TP exceeding their Wisdom+Shadow can do the same; haven't figured out the other two callings yet but wanted to see what y'all thought...

Yikes. Zed that seems high. 9 Xp and 3 undertakings for 1 pt. to standing, a marginally useful statistic that *should* be advance-able by treasure awards anyhow.

If I were to tie it to callings, I would have sub-quests given out by patrons when the heroes choose to meet patron in the fellowship phase. Then if they succeed on a special social encounter, one of the "reward levels" could be a sub quest tied to their calling:

-slayer: kill x number of mooks. Wound or deliver the killing blow to the adventures bbeg.
-warden: no more than x wounds received by the party on the adventure. No hero deaths.
-scholar: learn or solve some puzzle/riddle on the adventure.
-treasure hunter: find or recover an ancient artifact on the adventure
-wanderer: discover a new location or travel x number of miles. Diplomatically befriend a groups chieftain or lord

aramis wrote:There is, in Heart of the Wild, an option for reducing the cost of standing increases by use of a fellowship phase undertaking. (It can shave up to 12 treasure points off the cost.) That can get you status 1 for free...if you're a woodman, and can roll 2x6's on the required skill roll; it cannot be stocked up.

The other option is to make use of the holdings rules in Darkening, and allow a fellowship undertaking to make some treasure, as well.

The option I think you are referring to is "Compete on the Field of Heros" (Woodmen Only.) And it only shaves 12 of with an extraordinary success at Athletics, Hunting, Bows or Axes. Each lower type of success shaves off a lesser amount.

The Holding rules can certainly add to the Treasure a PC has available to help build up his standing. There are a couple of other FP options in HotW that also can add to Treasure points. Next time you play you may want to point your players in those directions.

I do also find it interesting that Standing isn't tide with doing something valiant in your home region as well. I mean wouldn't a Woodmen standing increase if he helped beat off an orc pack that was raiding his Hall.

Well yeah, this would be in addition to the normal Standing rules (i.e. 12 treasure for Standing 1, et cetera)...

Also, I asked 1?? (XP) per undertaking in the parentheses, but I understand just the three undertakings is a lot of opportunity cost as well.

I'm not sure that (all) Patrons should be involved; why should the character's home culture care what the hero did for some foreign lord?

I do like all of your suggestions for the sub-quest, with the possible question on the Slayer. Then again, I've never liked the slayer calling (for ME) as much as the others.

I've added a house rule that allows to spend XP for standing in my game, and a bunch of other ways to spend XP. My purpose was both to encourage my players to use the standing rules more, and to slow their evolution down, because they're becomming a bit strong for my taste, and I don't want them to reach a 6 in Valour or Wisdom too soon.

The costs I've used were 4, 8, 12... XP, wich is a third of the price in treasure points.