D&D 5E Bonds, traits, and flaws: making them more significant?

[doctorhook]

I've been playing 5E since release, and my group really loves it. As DM, one of my favorite features of this edition is the system of bonds, traits, and flaws. Bonds in particular give me so many more plot-hooks to build the characters' story around, and my players seem to prefer having characters strongly integrated into the story. However, lately I've been looking into narrative games such as FATE and Dungeon World, and I really liked the way these games take the idea of bonds to a whole new level.

I'm about to start running my group though Princes of Apocalypse. We really enjoy 5E and don't intend to drop it, but I'm seriously interested in improving or replacing 5E's bonds, traits, and flaws system with something more substantial. I'd love to crib from some of the stuff I've seen in Dungeon World or FATE (or something similarly narrativist) but I'm not familiar enough with those systems to know how or what to take.

Any suggestions?

 

[iserith]

I've been playing 5E since release, and my group really loves it. As DM, one of my favorite features of this edition is the system of bonds, traits, and flaws. Bonds in particular give me so many more plot-hooks to build the characters' story around, and my players seem to prefer having characters strongly integrated into the story. However, lately I've been looking into narrative games such as FATE and Dungeon World, and I really liked the way these games take the idea of bonds to a whole new level.

I'm about to start running my group though Princes of Apocalypse. We really enjoy 5E and don't intend to drop it, but I'm seriously interested in improving or replacing 5E's bonds, traits, and flaws system with something more substantial. I'd love to crib from some of the stuff I've seen in Dungeon World or FATE (or something similarly narrativist) but I'm not familiar enough with those systems to know how or what to take.

Any suggestions?

One simple way to make sure traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws see a bit more play is to put the awarding of Inspiration in the players' hands. Specifically, when a player opts to take disadvantage on a roll that the DM has called for or specifically incurs a cost or setback because of a trait, ideal, bond, or flaw, that player may claim Inspiration.

Another way to do it is to do an "End of Session move" designed for D&D 5e. You'll have to raise the limit on how much Inspiration a character can have at one time (see below). It might look something like this ("relationships" were characters bonds from Dungeon World that were established during Session Zero):

When you reach the end of a session, set Inspiration to zero.

Choose one of your character's traits, ideals, bonds, or flaws that you feel you demonstrated well during play and describe it. Then mark Inspiration.

Now look at your alignment and compare it to the alignment descriptions on page 34 of the Player Basic Rules. If you feel you demonstrated your alignment well during play, describe it and then mark Inspiration.

Think about your relationships with the other characters. Choose one of your relationships that you feel is resolved (completely explored, no longer relevant, or otherwise). Ask the player of the character you have the bond with if they agree. If they do, mark Inspiration and write a new bond with whomever you wish.

Then answer these three questions as a group:

• Did we learn something new and important about the world?
• Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?
• Did we loot a memorable treasure?

For each "Yes," say what it was and why it was cool and everyone marks Inspiration.

You start the next session with this amount of Inspiration to a maximum equal to your proficiency bonus.

 

[phantomK9]

Our group is coming from playing Fate and Fate Core almost elusively for the past several years. We are very much taken with the Fate Point system. As such we are attempting to do something similar in 5e.

Basically, Inspiration is tracked in points, not just have it or don't, and then an Inspiration Point is spent for advantage. We also took guidelines from the DMG and use Inspiration for other things as well, like declaring facts in the world that relate to our Bonds, Flaws etc. In a good session Inspiration should flow like water, coming in, getting spent and coming in again.

 

[doctorhook]

Thanks for your input, guys. Could you elaborate on what else Inspiration can be used for? Advantage is neat, but it's also easy enough to achieve in this system that it's not much of a motivator. I'd like Inspiration rewards that have some meat to them.

We also took guidelines from the DMG and use Inspiration for other things as well, like declaring facts in the world that relate to our Bonds, Flaws etc.

I like the idea of my players being able to use Inspiration to define facts about the campaign or the world, but I'm curious how I should handle this if we're going into a published adventure. We'll be playing Princes of the Apocalypse; what if my players wants to use inspiration to change (knowingly or unknowingly) some critical plot point? I'm okay with altering the adventure as-written, but I'm just wondering how to determine where the line is.

 

[Quickleaf]

Thanks for your input, guys. Could you elaborate on what else Inspiration can be used for? Advantage is neat, but it's also easy enough to achieve in this system that it's not much of a motivator. I'd like Inspiration rewards that have some meat to them.

Do you have the DMG? There is a rule for Plot Points which allow players to add elements to the scene or twist elements in unexpected ways.

Also, if you don't see Inspiration flowing like water but being a rarer resource, you might let it do what 4e Action Points did - grant the character a bonus action. That is very potent in 5e, but players love doing more stuff, so I imagine it being well received.

In my conversion of Planescape, I've added new uses for Inspiration like activating certain faction abilities, attuning to planar touchstones, eschewing components, gaining an intuitive clue, or even shaping the planes.

I like the idea of my players being able to use Inspiration to define facts about the campaign or the world, but I'm curious how I should handle this if we're going into a published adventure. We'll be playing Princes of the Apocalypse; what if my players wants to use inspiration to change (knowingly or unknowingly) some critical plot point? I'm okay with altering the adventure as-written, but I'm just wondering how to determine where the line is.

My impression of PotA is that its sandboxy nature makes it rugged enough to endure much of any player created changes as you describe.

If you feel more comfortable drawing a limit to player-generated content using Inspiration, then maybe crib a page from DW and incorporate leading questions. For example...

When you spend Inspiration to make a change to the scene, you may fill in the blanks with one of these question starters:

• "In fact, I know such-and-such an NPC from..."
• "What no one else realizes about the scene, but I do, is..."
• "I know something about elemental evil lore because..."

 

[pukunui]

I've been contemplating making 5e's personality traits work more like FATE's aspects. So like players would have a pool of Inspiration Points that they can spend to gain advantage - but in order to do so, they have to "invoke" one of their traits. As the DM, I can, in turn, "compel" one of their traits in order to add a related complication to the scene by offering them another Inspiration Point. A player can refuse the compel by sacrificing an Inspiration Point.

The only question would be how many Inspiration Points to give them. In FATE games, Fate Points are generally also used to buy other abilities, so the amount you get varies, but your points generally reset at the beginning of each session.