Experience Points

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Experience Points

 

Award experience as it seems appropriate' date=' not according to some scheme or rule. Personally, for each session I predetermine the max the session is worth based upong the time invovled and events that occured, and then award xp individually on a descending scale from that amount.[/quote']

I'm with KS on this...though I usually award experience at the end of adventures (whether it takes a single night or five months of games to finish the adventure) I award however much feels appropriate for that, and I don't have any kind of schedule, form, guide, or rule to figure out how much that should be. After all, any time you have any kind of schedule, form, guide, or rule on how you want to hand out xp, something's going to come along fairly frequently that will fold, spindle, mutilate, mulch, set fire to, and bureaucratically misplace that schedule, form, guide, or rule...so why bother in the first place? Go with your gut!

[zornwil]

Re: Experience Points

 

I've linked it before but since we're on the topic again, here's my system - the Rep Leveling has been adjusted since I last linked it, though. http://www.realschluss.org/x-champions/house_rules/ch_gaining_reputation_and_experienc.htm

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Experience Points

 

Zorn, regarding all that Rep Point business:

 

Seems awfully complex for no real pay off. Why not just, you know, buy the Reputation Perk instead? Or just apply common sense based upon events in play?

[zornwil]

Re: Experience Points

 

Zorn, regarding all that Rep Point business:

 

Seems awfully complex for no real pay off. Why not just, you know, buy the Reputation Perk instead? Or just apply common sense based upon events in play?

I'm not sure what you mean by "no real payoff." Note the rewards at rep levels. Anyway, as to effect, all I can say is that the Rep level stuff has consistently been the favorite thing of players.

 

PS - of course you could also just award Rep points on a more simplistic basis, just like XP, and level up accordingly, too.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Experience Points

 

It's funny, but "overly complicating things" is one of those things I get accused of fairly frequently. It's just struck me as ironic that, given that (and it's true, by the way) I opted for such a simple, gut-based way of assessing experience as I use.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Experience Points

 

I would think in a "traditional" (if that's even accurate' date=' hence the quotes) schema that Group B would be ahead because they completed objectives for which they''ll get XP atop the session XP, so they go on to a new set of objectives in session 2 whereas Group A is still working on the same objectives in session 1.[/quote']

Umm...yeah okay, I was thinking in the "micro" not the "macro." Good point.

 

Regardless' date=' I like mixing awards for both, because I don't see why a group should similarly be unduly penalized for not achieving some sort of preordained objective should the RPing take them elsewhere. I think staying just on objectives makes for too competitive a form of play.[/quote']

Another good point. I certainly don't want players to feel they have to rush through a session so they can get more XP next week.

 

And I should've been more clear in my earlier post: while I award XP at the end of an adventure, how long that adventure took to play is a factor -- it's just not the primary factor. I don't have a formal system, I just sorta swag it based on:

1. How well they accomplished their objectives,
   
2. how well they roleplayed,
   
3. how high the stakes were, and
   
4. how long the adventure took.
   

I should note that I have been known to run rather long, complicated adventures that are intended to run several sessions. I find that awarding XP this way encourages players to move the story along, while not shortchanging the players because the storyline I planned for 2 sessions ran for 5.

 

Group A should get more XP for the entire adventure BECAUSE they did that extra planning and took the time to make sure everything went smoothly.

If it's a matter of them taking the time to do more careful planning, I absolutely agree. But I've also played with groups that seem to want to spend all night planning the simplest operation, beating the same dead horses over and over again, until they've talked themselves in circles, and at the end just decide "Screw this, I kick the door in." I'm all for good planning, but more isn't always the same as better.

 

I don't like basing XP on "Physical Time Spent" in most occasions ... it doesn't always work that way from a character POV.

Right. How long the adventure takes the characters to complete should be a consideration, but that may or not be the same as how long it takes the players.

 

 

bigdamnhero

“See how I'm not hitting him? I think I've grown.â€