Action point for XP

apesamongus · Jan 20, 2005

I'm going to be running WLD very soon now, and I'm planning on limiting level advancement / area. But, I don't want to just stop giving XP or give drastically reduced XP, so I'm planning on allowing players to buy action points by spending XP.

I'm thinking of charging current level X 50 XP per point, but I can't judge if that is high, low, or just right. They would only be able to spend the point immediately after buying it, so there wouldn't be a problem of buying up lots of cheap points early. And I want to make it attractive to spend points on accomplishing things, and not just on not dying, so I don't want them to be too expensive. But I also don't want a couple of points used in every fight.

Elephant · Jan 24, 2005

If they gain an extra level or two early on, they'll naturally earn less XP as they go...that might help keep things balanced.

Another method you can use is to require trainers (or a year of contemplation/research/practice/experimentation/etc) for them to go up a level...and have new, higher-level trainers become accessible to them only after they reach certain points in the dungeon.

apesamongus · Jan 24, 2005

Elephant said:
If they gain an extra level or two early on, they'll naturally earn less XP as they go...that might help keep things balanced.

And, also, make the fights relatively easier - exactly the opposite effect I want to have.

Another method you can use is to require trainers

Not exactly practical in WLD.

(or a year of contemplation/research/practice/experimentation/etc) for them to go up a level...

My players would walk out and I would have to hire someone to beat myself up out of general principal.

and have new, higher-level trainers become accessible to them only after they reach certain points in the dungeon.

I am doing this. They are limited in leveling opportunities as they go through the dungeon. Which solves the leveling speed problem. It doesn't solve the unsatisfying experience of going through 1/2 - 3/4 of a dungeon level already capped out and getting no experience for your efforts.

Mercule · Jan 24, 2005

We played a game with a home-brew action point mechanic. We were allowed to either spend them or save for XP (I think our formula was lvl X 10 per point). We were given 5 each session.

Without meaning to do it, a couple of us were perfectly guinea-pigging the deal. I saved all mine for XP, another player spent 90% of his in game, and my wife split it 50/50. Without a doubt, my low-dex (relatively -- 14) Thief-Acrobat was the most powerful character, easily overshadowing the rest. The high cha (18+) bard who spent his points was nearly useless, and my wife's fighter/rogue was in between.

By the end of the campaign, I was more than a full level ahead of the others, and the bard was a level or so behind. Depending on how you're handing out points, and the overall rate of advancement, your experiences may be better or worse than ours.

apesamongus · Jan 25, 2005

Well, actually, my experience was (after only a single session yesterday) that at 50xpXlevel the players wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. On the other hand, the players gladly paid 100xpXlevel to "stabalize" at 0 HP instead of being knocked into negatives (but then again, the second attack roll of the session was a crit from a battle axe wielding orc on a 1st level PC, so the players were a little paranoid about potential death). So maybe I'll try lowering the price to 10Xlevel, and see if the players will bite.

Truth Seeker · Jan 25, 2005

apesamongus said:
I'm going to be running WLD very soon now, and I'm planning on limiting level advancement / area. But, I don't want to just stop giving XP or give drastically reduced XP, so I'm planning on allowing players to buy action points by spending XP.

I'm thinking of charging current level X 50 XP per point, but I can't judge if that is high, low, or just right. They would only be able to spend the point immediately after buying it, so there wouldn't be a problem of buying up lots of cheap points early. And I want to make it attractive to spend points on accomplishing things, and not just on not dying, so I don't want them to be too expensive. But I also don't want a couple of points used in every fight.

Hmmm, I thought, having Action Points, was the point of easing the burning away of XP from the PC...now they have to buy points...seems self defeating to me.

Coredump · Jan 25, 2005

I hate to state the obvious....but just give them fewer XP than 'by the book'. Give out (lets say) about 75% of RAW, and that way they will be teh level you want them to, but they won't 'cap out'. If it ends up being too slow, you can always give them a little extra a few times also.

apesamongus · Jan 25, 2005

Truth Seeker said:
Hmmm, I thought, having Action Points, was the point of easing the burning away of XP from the PC...now they have to buy points...seems self defeating to me.

I'm havnig a lot of trouble parsing that. What, exactly, are you saying that you think the purpose of having Action points is?

Action point for XP

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