D&D General A History of Violence: Killing in D&D

[Lanefan]

I've never heard of a party that was ok with just sitting around regardless of how their XP was metered out.

I've never seen an entire party do it but I've played with and DMed individual players who, even in an xp system that rewards risk-taking, refuse to take any risk unless forced to; instead allowing others (of whom, when a player, I'm usually one) to take the risks for them. Result: the risk-averse live and gain the rewards while the risk-takers get maimed or killed or whatever. (on topic: this all assumes a setting where violence is common and characters can die)

In a system that gave xp or levels without regard for character actions or risks taken, the risk-takers would have no incentive to do so and the whole thing would grind to a halt.

 

[Lanefan]

My boss says that if i don't accomplish what they are paying me for that i should not come back the next day.
Where do you work and are they hiring?

I'm retired now, but when working there were most certainly some days I worked harder than on other days; yet my pay was the same for each day.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I'll take either. I'm always open to learning new things.

I don't specifically know of one that is real-time or game-time based per se, but I do know several that have actual functional time and money based training systems that can work out to something close to it: RuneQuest, GURPS and a few others land here for example. The also have either a learn-by-doing system (RQ) or an experience system that is used to directly buy abilities (GURPS).

Advancement by session I know of two off the top of my head:

Fragged Empire (and its associated games like Fragged Kingdom) has you level every three sessions (they do assume a session is pretty close to an adventure so you could argue its "every three adventures" but they don't assume long multipart adventures there, each part would probably advance you). FE levels aren't as expansive as most D&D-sphere games make them; they just yield a point of Resource, a point of Influence, and a Trait (kind of a class feature/talent/feat sort of thing where most meaningful advancement in the game comes from).

13th Age does so in a roundabout fashion. You level after every four full heal-ups, and those are assumed to come (approximately; there's discussion of particularly weak or strong encounters changing that), and those are sort-of assumed to come once a session (though people with short sessions might only hit one every two).

 

[Thomas Shey]

Downtime is part of the game, no matter what you insist the "vast majority" of gamers want. And even if you're right about popularity, who the heck cares?

People who expect games to be designed for the majority of users? I mean, I know your ethos is to ignore such things, but that's not everyone.

 

[KYRON45]

I'm retired now, but when working there were most certainly some days I worked harder than on other days; yet my pay was the same for each day.

I feel like you move the goal post with each comment so I have to assume that you are right and it's common for you that this behavior occurs.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Hypothetical player: "I gain a level after one session, right? So what if I say my PC just stays back in town while everyone else goes to check out the goblin raids?"

DM: "Then that guy never becomes an adventurer. He was called but found his courage lacking, and settles down in town with a safer job. Want to roll up a new character, or would you prefer to figure a motivation for this one to actually be part of the game?"

Player: ok, how about I come with the group, but stay in the back and contribute as little as possible to the party's actions?"

DM: " Then you're fine. Welcome to level 2, hero!".

 

[Clint_L]

Hypothetical* player: "I gain a level after one session, right; and so does everyone else? So guys, why don't we all just stay in town for tonight's session, level up, and we'll be better able to take on the goblins next session?"

DM: > smoke rises from ears <

* - or maybe not so hypothetical, as I could easily see myself saying exactly this.

I've never seen milepost levelling handled that way. I mean, it could be if that's what the party wants, but then wouldn't it just make more sense to agree to start the campaign at level 2? Rather than spend a night that could have been full of fun gaming just sitting around and doing nothing?

If your hypotheticals require people to behave like idiots, I think your underlying argument is weak.

 

[Micah Sweet]

People who expect games to be designed for the majority of users? I mean, I know your ethos is to ignore such things, but that's not everyone.

If you're right, why is there more than one RPG?

 

[TiQuinn]

Which, if true (and I think it is), is IMO a major negative of 5e.

I used to think so but then I accepted that they’re two different systems with different goals and I use them interchangeably.

 

[KYRON45]

If you're right, why is there more than one RPG?

Most mass produced things are designed so that the most amount of people will buy them.