Why award XP for showing up on time?

[devilbat]

My game normally starts at 4 or 5 pm despite being scheduled for 3 pm at my house. This is because of people sleeping through their alarms, having to do "important things" like getting their car washed, getting a tattoo, having to mow the lawn, forgetting the game is at the same time every week.

See, stuff like this doesn't happen with my group, so maybe the xp bonus is working. Of course, if stuff like that did happen, I'd be looking for new players. My time is far to valuable to be sitting around for two hours waiting for people to show up.

 

[Chimera]

See, stuff like this doesn't happen with my group, so maybe the xp bonus is working. Of course, if stuff like that did happen, I'd be looking for new players. My time is far to valuable to be sitting around for two hours waiting for people to show up.

I seriously considered an XP Penalty for late players in the last game I ran, circa about 3 years ago. Because I was getting extremely tired of people showing up 30-40 minutes (or more) late just because they felt like it.

Instead, I should have recognized the signs and simply shut down the game.

Next game I run, if someone starts that pattern with me without legitimate reasons, they'll quickly find themselves unwelcome.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

No -- it generally hasn't been much of a problem. But I do give bonus XP for "game support" -- bringing snacks and things to share with the group.

 

[amazingshafeman]

One of my players is a cook and another is a bartender/waiter (at different restaurants). They both get cut when business dies. Since we play on Saturday night, it depends a lot on the weather, local sports teams, what bar is holding a naughty underwear contest, etc. Since they're roommates, they carpool, so if one is late, they both are. Rather than penalize them for paying rent, or awarding my wife for living with me (a reward in itself ), we let their schedule decide where we play. If they get off after 9, we play at my house, as the other players usually like to get together at 8ish, giving use plenty of time to party in some non-game fashion. If however, they're off, home and showered by 9, we play at their house, rewarding their "punctuality" by letting them feed us, clean up the mess, and, most importantly, not have to drive home at 1 or 2am.

In reality, we usually feed ourselves, since clean dishes there depend on a broken down dishwasher that only works when the temperature is less than 80 degrees with a relative humidity of X, where X equals the square root of how many flags were flown at half mast that month plus the formula for calculating body fat written in binary. Still, Umbran's got it right, if the cook brings home a fresh pie, it usually doesn't matter what time they get off.

 

[MonkeyDragon]

In my opinion, in game stuff should be rewarded in game, out of game stuff out of game. However, I consider XP to be out of game, since the characters don't have any concept of it. So when my players do things like write or draw stuff about their characters, or bring food, or roleplay well, or do things for the game, I award bonus XP. If there is naughtiness, it is XP that is taken away. (note that this is not something that happens often. I've only ever done it twice.)

So I don't reward people for being on time. I want people to be on time out of respect for the game and common courtesy. Being late is rude, but stuff happens. It's not like folks do it on purpose. As long as it's only every once in awhile, and there's a reason for it, it's not a big deal. Habitual or excessive lateness is another matter. If someone shows up a half hour or an hour late for no other reason than that they didn't get there on time, they're going to lose some XP.

Now, if someone doesn't get of work until right before the game, and thus they are always late because of it, that's not the fault of the player. I, as a DM, would simply schedule the game a little later, or if I couldn't do that, I'd just start without the person on all the housekeeping details and get things rolling as soon as possible. Now, if someone were that late all the time and expected me to put up with it just because they're never on time for anything, some XP would be leaving. Afterall, if someone can get to work and to school on time, why shouldn't they be able to come to the game on time?

 

[drakhe]

no XP for none game related issues

Y<snip> I have seen players run into the session, with thirty second to spare, so they can get the bonus.<snip>

I hope your players contribute in a possitive way to the game. I DON'T give out XP for being on time because XP improves your PC, and you as a player being on time should not have an influence on how experienced he is (other than perhaps missing XP for missing that first fight when you do arrive late)

In my experience, people being late at the table are generaly dealt with by their fellow players: either for holding up the game or for missing that particular PC in that first encounter.

 

[Romnipotent]

Im a rat bastard, dont show up and you get a disease
then a curse
then a mark of some doom
then you come back to find your being hunted

 

[Altalazar]

I don't reward people for doing what they should be doing.

My sentiments exactly. Plus, there can be unintended consequences. If the award is too big, it can really get things out of whack, and what if someone is late through no fault of their own?

Conversely, if it is too small, it may result in more lateness, as people just figure they can afford to pay the 'price' and consider that the compensation for not making it on time. (This is what happened, incidentally, in a little experiment with day care places - places that used to just say 'pick up your kid by 6pm' added a 'fine' for being late. The fine wasn't negligible, but it wasn't that big either. Lateness actually INCREASED, likely because people decided that they wanted the extra time and that the price was reasonable.

 

[DonTadow]

I understand that my players have lives and things going on in their lives which is why i'm a stickler for starting on time. I don't punish players with xp or anything though, I just start on time. If you're not there you might miss out or on something or not be able to play until the current battle or team plays out. I think missing vitall parts of the story and loot should be punishement enough.

 

[Crothian]

Im a rat bastard, dont show up and you get a disease
then a curse
then a mark of some doom
then you come back to find your being hunted

Huh, that's what I do to the players who do show up......