Reward Triggers

When a player takes an action and gets something they want, it triggers a very basic and universal response in their brain. It's a universal stimulation, similar to the kind of enjoyment we get from interacting on social networking sites, playing video games, painting a picture, or cleaning the house. Those activities stimulate an influx of dopamine through our systems, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good when we are productive or creative.

But it isn't just triggered from getting a reward, it has to be earned. There needs to be a clear cause and effect connection between the character's action and the positive results. This is why players often enjoy a result more if they rolled a dice or moved a token before it happened... it makes them feel like they did something more active that resulted in their victory.

These moments of triumph are a vital part of the tabletop experience, and will come up at some point in your games whether you recognize them or not. You can take advantage of this natural instinct in order to keep your group entertained and satisfied during gaming sessions.

Remember to reward them often enough that they feel a sense of progress and achievement when they perform an action. Describe the positive results of their action in an evocative manner. Don't just gloss over something when they get it right... let them know for sure that they have succeeded and show them the results.

And, as mentioned before, there needs to be some way of making the player feel like an active participant in order to get the full effect. This could involve rolling dice or moving a token or miniature, but it can often be as simple as having the player clearly state and describe their action. If the player feels like they are the catalyst for their own achievement, it becomes a reward trigger in their mind... a good feeling and sense of satisfaction that comes from getting the job done.

There are lots of things that players can do that provide this satisfaction, but it is up to the GM to identify the ones that appeal to a particular player and providing opportunities for it to happen. It could be:

• Learning a secret nobody else knows (Getting a secret note passed to them)
• Gaining a new piece of cool loot (Getting to write it on their character sheet)
• Dealing damage to enemies (Rolling a critical hit)
• Winning a social encounter (Having an enemy NPC bow in reverence and respect to them)

Of course you don't want to overdo this technique either. Space out these moments of true achievement with lots of challenges and twists in between. Make them fight for it. The key to satisfaction comes through the setbacks that must be overcome in order to reach it. Throw adversity and tribulations at the players so that their moments of success feel earned. Then sit back and watch your players cheer themselves on as they march onward to victory!

Happy ventures!