{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/rpg-grind--risk-reward","type":"mechanic","id":"rpg-grind--risk-reward","lang":"en","title":"Risk-reward scaling","summary":"The player accepts extra threats or restrictions in exchange for changed rewards.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--risk-reward/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--risk-reward.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--risk-reward.md","aliases":[],"tags":["RPG grinding","Scaling and focusing"],"sourceIds":["source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-7f09c8a736762f4f","title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The player accepts extra threats or restrictions in exchange for changed rewards."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"risk-reward-options\"></a>\n\n- Choose difficulty with a separate loot table. <a id=\"risk-reward-option-1\"></a>\n- Add optional dangerous modifiers. <a id=\"risk-reward-option-2\"></a>\n- Carry valuable cargo for a larger payout. <a id=\"risk-reward-option-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"Before an expedition, the player can strengthen enemies for more rare materials."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A systematic RPG grind reference: 110 mechanics and 330 variants in 18 sections. Four layers answer different questions: what the player repeats, what develops, how rewards arrive and what constrains the loop. It covers single-player RPGs, ARPGs, MMORPGs and adjacent management and accumulation systems. Every mechanic has an explanation, variants and a hypothetical example; coverage, combinations and verified game observations follow the catalog."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"rpg-grind","id":"risk-reward","title":"RPG grinding","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/rpg-grind/#risk-reward","categoryIds":["reward-scaling"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Risk-reward scaling","description":"The player accepts extra threats or restrictions in exchange for changed rewards.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-rest.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Slay the Spire","sourceUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","originalUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss11.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"Choosing power over healing increases risk in the next fight","alt":"Choosing power over healing increases risk in the next fight","markers":[{"x":58,"y":34,"label":"The player gains power while retaining the risk of missing health"}]},"tips":["Compare the extra benefit against the possible loss of accumulated progress."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the specifically described released-game observations; design variants and scenarios are hypothetical.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/rpg-grind"}}