Reward Protocol

Dynamic achievement rewards — the treasure matches the quest. "Rewards should feel earned and fitting."

Core Principle

Thematic Appropriateness

Rewards match achievements:

• Slay a dragon → dragon-themed rewards (scales, hoard, reputation)
• Save a village → village's gratitude (shelter, allies, title)
• Solve a puzzle → knowledge rewards (secrets, techniques, lore)

Reward Types

Type	Examples	When Granted
Items	Weapons, tools, treasures	Combat, exploration
Gold	Currency, valuables	Commerce, quests
Buffs	Temporary powers	Heroic moments
Titles	LIGHT-BEARER, DRAGON-SLAYER	Major achievements
Abilities	New skills, techniques	Learning, training
Access	Keys, permissions, trust	Social achievements
Knowledge	Secrets, lore, maps	Investigation
Heirlooms	Items with history	Generational play

Methods

GRANT - Give a Reward

invoke: GRANT
params:
  recipient: "Who gets it"
  achievement: "What they did"
  reward: "What they get (or auto-generate)"
effect:
  - Add to recipient's inventory or state
  - Record in achievement log
  - Narrate the granting

GENERATE - Create Thematic Reward

invoke: GENERATE
params:
  achievement: "What was accomplished"
  context: "Where and how"
effect:
  - Analyze achievement theme
  - Generate appropriate reward
  - Propose with justification

Reward Generation Logic

Achievement: "Rescued the blacksmith from the fire"
Context: Village fire, heroic action

Thematic analysis:
  - Fire → fire-related items?
  - Blacksmith → smithing reward?
  - Heroic → reputation boost?

Generated rewards:
  1. Fireproof cloak (practical, thematic)
  2. Free repairs for life (relationship)
  3. Title: FLAME-WALKER (reputation)
  4. Secret: location of rare ore (knowledge)

Scaling Rewards

Achievement Level	Reward Scale
Minor task	Small token, few coins
Significant quest	Useful item, title
Major accomplishment	Powerful item, ability
Legendary feat	Unique artifact, lasting fame

Curse Lifting Rewards

When curses are lifted, special rewards apply:

curse:
  name: "Curse of Darkness"
  lift_condition: "Light 3 dark places"

reward_on_lift:
  - title: "LIGHT-BEARER"
  - ability: "Glow in darkness"
  - knowledge: "Location of the Shadow Temple"

Delayed Rewards

Some rewards mature over time:

delayed_reward:
  type: "Planted seed"
  matures: "After 3 game days"
  becomes: "Magical fruit tree"

relationship_reward:
  type: "Merchant's favor"
  grows_with: "Repeated business"
  becomes: "Exclusive supplier"

State

reward_state:
  earned_rewards: []
  pending_rewards: []
  titles: []
  achievements_log:
    - date: "2026-01-15"
      achievement: "Rescued the blacksmith"
      reward: "Fireproof cloak"

Integration

Skill	Integration
scoring	Score determines reward quality
buff	Some rewards are buffs
economy	Gold rewards
character	Rewards update character state
adventure	Quest completion triggers rewards

Safety Guidelines

• Proportional — reward matches difficulty
• Consistent — similar achievements, similar rewards
• Meaningful — rewards should matter to the story
• No inflation — keep rewards valuable

Example Session

> [Player completes fire rescue quest]

GENERATE: achievement="rescued blacksmith from fire"

Analysis:
- Heroic action in dangerous situation
- Relationship established with craftsman
- Fire element prominent

Proposed rewards:
1. 🛡️ Fireproof Cloak - practical protection
2. 🔨 Free Smithing - relationship benefit
3. 🏆 Title: FLAME-WALKER - reputation

Which feels right for this character?