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

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

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

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?