Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Hywaywolf wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:27 pm as a player, if the only way to get XP is to kill monsters then killing monsters will be at the top of the "to do" list. If you're looking to build a party of exterminators thats how you get one. There are a lot of good alternates listed in the previous posts that will lead to a fuller game experience as well as player advancement .

Absolutely right. I noticed the same thing, XP for killing monsters creates a disincentive for players to do anything other than engage in combat, and see if their numbers and rolls prevail against those of the opponents.

The very best way to think of XP is to reward success. Success being twofold: the achievement of the player's goals (i.e defeating or overcoming monsters, the acquisition of treasure and magic, fulfilling a specific plot goal like recovering a hostage). I used to always award partial (say, 1/4 to 1/2) XP for scaring off a monster, getting around it through creativity, etc. Also would award a little XP for making and attempting clever strategies, small bonuses (25XP) for navigating a scenario with exceptional role playing or characterization to incentivize immersive play. Gold, certainly! Magical items, yes!

Typically, I used to shoot for around 3 adventures per level of experience, as did other DMs I played with. Of course, I played gritty, old school murder factories where generally you could count on about one of every four characters you made getting to second or third level. And it didn't often get any easier from there!

For my online games, I go by sessions (my sessions are two hours long).

I used to just advance everyone the same, but then a player did a little reasonable math and figured out how to balance it so that spell casters aren't advancing so fast and taking over the game too soon.

All that said, I really wish I could just level everyone up at the same time, less book-keeping. Anyone have any thoughts as to whether that throws everything out of whack? (It seemed to in my early games, but maybe I just wasn't experienced enough as a DM).

teaman wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 7:02 am For my online games, I go by sessions (my sessions are two hours long).

I used to just advance everyone the same, but then a player did a little reasonable math and figured out how to balance it so that spell casters aren't advancing so fast and taking over the game too soon.

All that said, I really wish I could just level everyone up at the same time, less book-keeping. Anyone have any thoughts as to whether that throws everything out of whack? (It seemed to in my early games, but maybe I just wasn't experienced enough as a DM).

OMO, generally, equality of XP earnings is a good thing. A fighter shouldn't get all the experience for the critters he kills, the same way a thief doesn't get all the experience for whats found in a chest he opens (assuming you give XP for treasure) and what XP would you give a Cleric for saving the life of a party member. As long as the party is working as a team with each member utilizing the strengths of their class then everything they do should have xp awarded as a team. But there are reasons not to just apply XP like a wide blanket.

What do you do with players that can't come to a session but his PC is carried along like an NPC. Shouldn't the PC get half experience for being present but not full XP because its just a puppet. Or what if 3 members of the party is captured and sitting in a cell while 2 other members do all the fighting and exploring to rescue them? Or if a PC is killed and the player has to roll up a new one, or the PC is carried around for 2 or 3 nights while the party finds a way to resurrect them?

Hywaywolf wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 12:27 pm

teaman wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 7:02 am For my online games, I go by sessions (my sessions are two hours long).

I used to just advance everyone the same, but then a player did a little reasonable math and figured out how to balance it so that spell casters aren't advancing so fast and taking over the game too soon.

All that said, I really wish I could just level everyone up at the same time, less book-keeping. Anyone have any thoughts as to whether that throws everything out of whack? (It seemed to in my early games, but maybe I just wasn't experienced enough as a DM).

OMO, generally, equality of XP earnings is a good thing. A fighter shouldn't get all the experience for the critters he kills, the same way a thief doesn't get all the experience for whats found in a chest he opens (assuming you give XP for treasure) and what XP would you give a Cleric for saving the life of a party member. As long as the party is working as a team with each member utilizing the strengths of their class then everything they do should have xp awarded as a team. But there are reasons not to just apply XP like a wide blanket.

What do you do with players that can't come to a session but his PC is carried along like an NPC. Shouldn't the PC get half experience for being present but not full XP because its just a puppet. Or what if 3 members of the party is captured and sitting in a cell while 2 other members do all the fighting and exploring to rescue them? Or if a PC is killed and the player has to roll up a new one, or the PC is carried around for 2 or 3 nights while the party finds a way to resurrect them?

I'm pretty lenient. If you miss a session and the others play your character, you still get credit for it. My players are all about my age (ahem, seasoned), so we just keep rolling on. Same would be for folks who are killed and resurrected, just too much book-keeping otherwise.

But that's my being a steamlined DM, not necessarily the right way.