D&D 5E XP is a major weapon in the DM arsenal

[CapnZapp]

Xp is an illusion.

So skip xp, use milestone levelling instead, and save yourself a ton of work

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Fanaelialae]

Xp is an illusion.

So skip xp, use milestone levelling instead, and save yourself a ton of work

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

A lot of players love getting xp. I suggested using milestones in my regular group a while back (wanted to try it out) and the player's vehemently objected.

We're using milestones in the other group I'm playing in, and while it is tolerable, I have to say I miss xp. There have been times where I called a delve short because we had accomplished our goal, despite that there were more areas to explore. The DM was surprised. I explained to him that while there might be treasure in those areas, there would almost certainly be danger, so the risk/reward ratio wasn't worth it. When we're forced into an encounter in that game that yields little to no treasure, it feels like a waste of time, unlike with the other group where we get xp so we feel like it was worthwhile. Milestones certainly have their upside as well, but they aren't for everyone. I still prefer using xp.

 

[iserith]

A lot of players love getting xp. I suggested using milestones in my regular group a while back (wanted to try it out) and the player's vehemently objected.

We're using milestones in the other group I'm playing in, and while it is tolerable, I have to say I miss xp. There have been times where I called a delve short because we had accomplished our goal, despite that there were more areas to explore. The DM was surprised. I explained to him that while there might be treasure in those areas, there would almost certainly be danger, so the risk/reward ratio wasn't worth it. When we're forced into an encounter in that game that yields little to no treasure, it feels like a waste of time, unlike with the other group where we get xp so we feel like it was worthwhile. Milestones certainly have their upside as well, but they aren't for everyone. I still prefer using xp.

Milestone advancement is good when you have a plot or storyline you want the players to follow, such as in an adventure path. It's incentivizing the players sticking to that plot and not wandering off. It's still XP though - it just has another name. If you're not running a plot-based adventure path, it's not as a good a tool in my view.

 

[Seramus]

I take a vote to see what the players would like.

Some groups have voted in favor of Milestone.
Some groups have voted in favor of traditional XP.

More have been in favor of Milestone than traditional XP, but I'm happy to work with whatever the group enjoys most.

 

[cooperjer]

Since I started running AL games with the PotA story I've found XP difficult to hand out. The PCs are kind of over their heads looking at higher level creatures that most likely can defeat them. Because of this, they spend more time in parlay than combat. I've started to think about the NPC groups as threats to the PCs or non-threats to the PCs. If the PCs joined one of the cults in PotA and seem to be allied with them for a long enough time, then that cult is no longer a threat and the PCs gain XP for defeating them. However, if the PCs spend most of the time in parlay and don't seem to be allied then the cult is still a threat and no XP is gained.

Since the PotA game is such a large sandbox it's difficult to determine when the PCs have achieved a goal of the story in the early section of the adventure. Therefore, although I would like to hand out XP by goal completion, it seems very difficult.

The AL game gives the DM a set XP gain per hour as a function of game level. This is XP is for the DM character to use in a different AL game; however, I've started using it for the players as well. The XP per hour of game play sets the minimum the character may receive that game. For example, a party of five characters with an average level of 3 would receive 100 XP per hour. If the only monsters defeated in the two hours of game play were two 450 XP creatures then the PCs receive 200 XP or 450x2/5 = 180 XP, which ever is greatest. This seems to at least reward the players for showing up and spending time at the table helping to make the game fun.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I prefer milestones because I hate doing the extra Math, but I am aware of how much my players love to total that XP on their character sheets. I just got tired of totaling it up.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I prefer milestones because I hate doing the extra Math, but I am aware of how much my players love to total that XP on their character sheets. I just got tired of totaling it up.

I use a spreadsheet that does the math for me (and also runs encounter difficulty and PEL calculations automatically so that I have a good estimate for how difficult an off the cuff encounter will be). Makes it much easier.

 

[Mephista]

I just use milestones. You get levels from completing plot. It encourages following story hooks, and less on fighting.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I prefer milestones because I hate doing the extra Math, but I am aware of how much my players love to total that XP on their character sheets. I just got tired of totaling it up.

Why total it up then? Make them total it up. Whenever they've earned some XP, call it out: "You have defeated the Nameless One! You have earned 8000 XP to split amongst yourselves!"

If anything, this makes the operant conditioning even stronger. Now your players get IMMEDIATE feedback every time they kill a goblin/find a treasure/do whatever it is you're trying to train them to do by giving out XP. They'll be tempted to immediately repeat that behavior.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Why total it up then? Make them total it up. Whenever they've earned some XP, call it out: "You have defeated the Nameless One! You have earned 8000 XP to split amongst yourselves!"

If anything, this makes the operant conditioning even stronger. Now your players get IMMEDIATE feedback every time they kill a goblin/find a treasure/do whatever it is you're trying to train them to do by giving out XP. They'll be tempted to immediately repeat that behavior.

In my game the Nameless One would have quite a few minions. I never run a solo-monster combat encounter. I guess I could make my players total up the number of foes they killed and flip through the Monster Manual to find their XP values and then total it up and divide it among themselves. I would be worried about that slowing the game down though. And if I know my players I doubt they would enjoy doing that any more than I would.

It was way easier for me to just see how much a XP an adventurer should be getting for each adventuring day at each level and decide that's how many adventuring days it takes to level up. That math I only had to do once, and never again.

I'm not saying I don't see the immediate appeal of getting rewarded with XP. I do. I just find it easier to not use it. And since none of my players are lining up to take over DM duties it's likely to stay that way.