D&D 5E Game theory, D&D, and infinite games

[MarkB]

And yet I the player have never gone up a level due to experience points being given to me(none ever have been given to me). My character on the other hand, despite being unaware of what experience points are, has received them in every edition I have ever played, plus BECMI, and he has gone up levels due to receiving them.

And every time that's happened it's increased the effectiveness with which you, the player, can play the game (or at least the game-mechanical minigames within that game). Your character never feels the benefit of those levels, because your character doesn't exist. You do.

 

[Maxperson]

And every time that's happened it's increased the effectiveness with which you, the player, can play the game (or at least the game-mechanical minigames within that game). Your character never feels the benefit of those levels, because your character doesn't exist. You do.

It still doesn't go to me. It goes to the game piece. I may be able to play more effectively, but that's only because the piece, not me, improved.

 

[Morrus]

And yet I the player have never gone up a level due to experience points being given to me(none ever have been given to me). My character on the other hand, despite being unaware of what experience points are, has received them in every edition I have ever played, plus BECMI, and he has gone up levels due to receiving them.

This is a weird hill to take a stand on.

 

[Maxperson]

This is a weird hill to take a stand on.

It's just the way I see it. If I had gotten the experience points, my player level would be much higher than it is(and I'm pretty good). Instead, the game piece(character) gets the experience and improves, which gives me more options as a player.

 

[Morrus]

It's just the way I see it. If I had gotten the experience points, my player level would be much higher than it is(and I'm pretty good). Instead, the game piece(character) gets the experience and improves, which gives me more options as a player.

It's like somebody took the concept of pedantry and thought "That's a challenge!"

 

[MarkB]

It still doesn't go to me. It goes to the game piece. I may be able to play more effectively, but that's only because the piece, not me, improved.

That feels like a distinction without a difference. Your reward was the ability to play more effectively. That's something that benefits you directly, and your fellow players indirectly. Nothing and nobody else is receiving that benefit.

 

[Malmuria]

But experience points are given to the player, not the character. They don't exist within the character's world - no PC or NPC knows what an XP is, or what to do with it.

That's true of basically everything numerical on a character sheet? Your character probably can't walk up to an npc and say, "I have a 13 wisdom, what's yours?" or anything to that effect.

Anyway, I don't mind giving out of character XP rewards if I think they are useful. For example, for writing the recap in a shared google doc.

The division between player and character in the OP feels a little meaningless. In most games that aren't being played for money or other rewards, the player isn't getting anything tangible out of winning beyond satisfaction. So how is it different when the player, as a result of their good performance, wins tokens such as XP or level-ups that they can spend on improving their character? It's a prize the player earned through their success at the minigames, which will let them buy options to help them perform better in future minigames.

Do you create narration for level ups? Does the character know they've gotten better in some way, or do they even train during downtime as a way of narrating leveling up?

 

[Maxperson]

That feels like a distinction without a difference. Your reward was the ability to play more effectively. That's something that benefits you directly, and your fellow players indirectly. Nothing and nobody else is receiving that benefit.

I used "with more options," rather than "more effectively" for a reason. The monsters, traps and other NPCs are also getting stronger along side you and gaining more options, so I'm not sure you are really being more effective. More fun for sure, but not really more effective.

 

[MarkB]

I used "with more options," rather than "more effectively" for a reason.

No, the "more effectively" was your phrasing. I merely repeated it.

 

[Maxperson]

No, the "more effectively" was your phrasing. I merely repeated it.

You're correct and that was a misspeak. I used more options in the response to Morrus. They are not more effective. They just have more options which they need to use to overcome the improved abilities, traps and options on the DM side of things.