D&D 5E XP and You

[JamesonCourage]

By the book in both my own RPG (with my normal group) and by the book in my 4e campaign (new group).

 

[Storminator]

Other. PCs level up when the players tell me they do.

PS

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I typically use "modified by the book", but IMO "all of the above" can be good approaches for a game. Use what best fits your group.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I have an actual spreadsheet that I plug the CR of encounters (and bonus quest exp) into and it calculates for me. It even has a field for slowing down advancement by a percentage if I ever find that appropriate.

So, yeah.

 

[Sunseeker]

"XP" is more tracked by "plot advancement". You can run around in the city and town all you like, but everything in this "zone" is going to be something you could reasonably handle at your level. As you move through the world and move the world, that's how you advance in levels in my game. These are usually tied to achieving something where you're at, such as rooting out the evil cultists, gaining the favor of the king, or being granted a castle of your own.

 

[Hussar]

The last long term campaign I ran, I did it 100% by the book. Then, about half way through, I realised that the group was levelling at a pretty standard, predictable rate. So, then I just levelled them up based on that. Made very little difference.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I used story and roleplaying awards a lot, until I realized that I was just using them to give XP arbitrarily when it felt like the best thing to do. My experience has shown that my players have a greater enjoyment of their rewards when they're not getting anything because I want them to.

The side effect (a bad one, in my opinion) is that XP in my game is currently awarded solely for killing monsters, and that's why I want a DnD Next version of 2E class-based rewards. By the book rewards are great, but they become even better when you're actually rewarded for doing what characters of your class are supposed to do.

 

[howandwhy99]

For me, players gain XP for roleplaying, separate totals for each class.

I think of gaining Experience Points like picking up treasure, moving location, or beating a monster. Players choose to do these things, they don't have to. XP is the score of the game for each player. It's a measure of how well the players are roleplaying, if not necessarily how well they might be able to. If players don't want that score to increase, they may avoid attempting actions which they beleive increase it.

 

[howandwhy99]

Here are some examples for getting XP by class. Not necessarily what I use, but class relevant for the four core at least.

Some sources of XP overlap between all like rumors and overcoming monsters / threatening creatures in a dungeon / dangerous world. But I believe most should be noticeably specific.

Fighting-Men
besting monsters in combat - duels, group fights, battle skirmishes led, war battles led, etc.
maintaining morale
building or acquiring fortifications
gaining authority
training other warriors for battle

Magic-User
Casting spells
Using magical items
Determining the uses of magical items
Crafting magical items
training apprentices to help discover magic

Clerics
causing miracles / divine spells
gaining followers
bolstering morale
using holy relics
training acolytes in the faith

Thieves
stealing valuable property
stealing lands
stealing information
Using people to gain illicitly any of the above
training footpads to risk for wealth in place of you

 

[Li Shenron]

Other: I alternate between the following two

- in some campaigns I use XP by the book, and then design/use adventures for the current party level

- in other campaigns I design/use adventures of my taste, and then level up the players based on adventures needs (including possibly having a big jump up, and years passed in the background)

I have used also individual XP in my first experiences as DM, but I have abandoned that method.