Quick and Easy XP System

[masshysteria]

I've been toying with the idea of an alternate XP system. The one in place isn't bad, but I'd just like something that is easier to use, but still fits into the existing system. Here's what I've come up with so far:

D&D is based off 13 encounters per level. So, I've extrapolated that to 26 points. After gaining 26 points, you increase in level.

Points are given as follows:
1 - Easy/low-risk/below-CR fight.
2 - Medium/average/at-CR fight.
3 - Difficult/extraordinary/above-CR fight.

1 - Excellent role playing.
2 - Plot advancement/side quest completion.
3 - Story arc or major quest completion.

Points are removed as follows:
-1 - Craft minor item comparative to current level
-2 - Craft average item comparative to current level
-3 - Craft major item comparative to current level

-1 - Cast minor spell comparative to current level
-2 - Cast average spell comparative to current level
-3 - Cast major spell comparative to current level

-26 - Death (Result of Raise Dead/Resurrection magic)

As the current system stands, players who are a lower level, level faster than a higher level character when they both complete the same challenge. To account for this, I would suggest comparing the player's level to the encounter CR and awarding points as outlined above. If someone falls behind a level, they catch up quicker as they will gain more points when using 1 or 2 point encounters.

I'm also in favor or creating point debt. This way a character can craft or cast spells without worrying about losing a level. Each time a point is subtracted, increase the point debt, allowing negative points. Effectively this increase the number of points necessary to level.

So, if Bob the Dwarf has 1 point and wants to craft a major item, he simply subtracts 3. He now has -2 points. He effectively needs 28 points to level.

The same thing could be done with death. No more lost levels and figuring out all new BAB, spells, saves, etc., just a big debt to overcome.

I haven't tested it yet, but I like this because it is easy to keep track of and isn't as arbitrary as just saying, "Okay, looks like you've done enough. Go up a level." Of course the crafting and spell subtractions are a little arbitrary and it would be nice to figure out something a bit more concrete.

Comments? Suggestions?

Do you like it? Or am I off my rocker?

[Edit for grammar.]

 

[Ilium]

I like it. Personally I use the "well I think you guys should level now" method, but this seems a good compromise between that and painstaking XP tracking.

I definitely like avoiding level loss. This is actually how the computer game Temple of Elemental Evil does it (you don't lose actual levels, just XP). If I had Raise Dead magic in my game I would use that approach, too.

 

[airwalkrr]

So if I craft 26 scrolls as a 1st level wizard, I level up?

 

[Land Outcast]

note the minus ("-") sign.

 

[Lanefan]

How would you handle level drain by things like Vampires?

It's an interesting idea, this, but might be a bit *too* simplified; particularly if you want to fine-tune rewards for participation in an encounter.

A slightly finer-tunable version might be to rate each encounter on a 1-10 scale, with a somewhat challenging "average" encounter being a 7. The rating becomes the ExP amount available for each character involved in that encounter, scaled down for characters whose involvement was minor or partial. When you reach 100, you bump. (that makes 14.3 average encounters per level instead of 13...big deal)

Options: you could go 1-12 if you're planning some real killer encounters. You can easily tweak advancement rates by kicking the 100 number up or down.

The only trouble I'd have with this as DM is tyring to rate the encounters...I've seen parties take what on paper looks like a 9 or 10 encounter and make a 5 out of it; conversely I've seen unlucky or idiotic parties turn a 3 into an 8....

Lanefan

 

[the Jester]

Elegant, simple... I like it!

 

[BRP2]

I'd make it 4 points for the very hard combat encounters . Otherwise, this is a real neat system. I might use it or my own modified version.

 

[DreamChaser]

What about scribe scroll for a wizard: the low cost of 0 and 1st level scrolls XP wise (and the bonus feat) is a key balancing factor for wizards to ensure that they are able to cast the utility spells as well as combat spells.

With this system, a wizard would really screw themself if they tried to make use of this.

Perhaps a bundled cost. In this system, 1 "XP is equivalent to about 35 XP per character level (38 actually). Since items cost 1 XP per 25 gp value, this translates to 1 of your XP equaling about 800 gold pieces worth of scrolls.

What if we allowed a character to convert 1 XP into a "reserve" equal to 750 gp per character level which must be spent 1 to 1 with gold pieces to create scrolls, potions, power stones, talismans, tattoos, or other one shot magical items.

Thoughts?

DC

 

[masshysteria]

How would you handle level drain by things like Vampires?

It's an interesting idea, this, but might be a bit *too* simplified; particularly if you want to fine-tune rewards for participation in an encounter.

A slightly finer-tunable version might be to rate each encounter on a 1-10 scale...

I thought about increasing the range of available challenges (1-5, 1-10), but each time you do that, you must increase the number of points to level. If you carry this to the extreme, you pretty much come back to the experience system that is already in place. Like I said, I want something quick and easy. The below-average, average, above-average does this.

But it is easy enough to change for your purposes. Take your average encounter points and multiply by 13. So, if you'd like to have a range of 1-5 with 3 being the average, it now takes 39 points to level.

As far as the negative levels from a vampire comment go, these are temporary things and do not affect XP. So you could just use the rules as they are written (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels).

 

[masshysteria]

What about scribe scroll for a wizard: the low cost of 0 and 1st level scrolls XP wise (and the bonus feat) is a key balancing factor for wizards to ensure that they are able to cast the utility spells as well as combat spells.

With this system, a wizard would really screw themself if they tried to make use of this...

The scribing costs are insignificant when the caster level is much greater than the spell level. For example, a 10th level wizard scribing a 1st level spell = 10 XP cost.

Perhaps you could adopt a rule of thumb for penalty free scribing. Something like "If caster level minus spell level is greater than seven, then the cost is free."

I'm just throwing this out there without doing the math behind it to see how it would affect the current system, so some tweaking may be necessary.