Metagame Awards

Call it an attempt at further immersion, or for more buy-in on the part of the players, but below are metagame awards active for PCs.

MINIATURES: The following benefits exist if you bring a unique miniature for your character that looks like the character (roughly same race and gender and size- not a dwarf cleric miniature for your elven wizard). Need not match weapons/armor. Unique means an actual miniature- not a chess piece or coin). You bring a miniature means you come prepared with one, not taking one of mine.

PCs: - Miniature grants you either +1 to caster level, or +2 to attack rolls and AC.
Animal Companions: - Miniature gives +2 bonus to AC and attack rolls (and combat maneuver checks).
Familiars: Your familiar will get either the mobility feat or escape route feat for free.
Cohorts:  The cohort gets +2 bonus to AC and attack rolls OR +2 to caster level.
Spell Effects: A miniature for spell effects (such as a flaming sphere, or a summoned monster), or a Warcraft style area of effect square (correctly sized) will grant +1 to the DC of the spell, OR +1 damage per die of damage.

Combat on Maps is preferable to combat without for the purposes of many feats and abilities. Having a miniature prepared for your character that is unique to you is preferable, and will thus be rewarded mechanically. 

BACKSTORY:
A full backstory contains the following information:

• Personal Goals- are they to be rich (how rich), to defeat a specific enemy or something? Whatever it is, what will happen if they accomplish this goal? Do they have multiple goals?
• Motivations- Outside of personal goals, what are their motivations? Obviously things that forward their personal goals would count, but what about protecting the weak, stealing things, etc?
• Character Flaws: Does your character have any character flaws- such as being a kleptomaniac, afraid of certain things, etc? These things may not have a direct mechanical effect (they might) but can add flavor to a character design.
• Notable Assoicates: Do they have special relationships with other PCs, or NPCs? Relevant family members? Family in town? 
• Describe their alignment: They HAVE an alignment, but how does their typical behavior fit that alignment?

Having a FULL backstory prior to the first session (which means the character is already complete) will grant your choice of:

• A bonus feat
• An additional favored class
• +2 to an ability score that's not already getting a racial bonus. (Can offset a racial penalty). 

Ideally the backstory will be emailed to me or in a printed (legible) copy I can have to refer to for any quest ideas.

Role Playing:

• Some minor rewards will be given out for immersive role-playing. Characters who frequently use accents, or act in character even if mechanically unsound, or have character flaws with no mechanical benefit. Even saying quippy things (like in action movies) when making an attack, giving an inspiring speech to the other PCs, etc, may grant hero points or small bonuses (like a +1 bonus to an attack roll or something).