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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9419067" data-attributes="member: 29398">Correction noted.For many, particularly in the 'gamist' part of the realm, the two bolded things here are exactly synonymous.Personally, the "ensuring survival" piece is more important to me largely because my playing history shows I'm so bad at it.  Advancing power is nice but it's more an occasional - if pleasant - side effect of ongoing play rather than the reason for it.Player: You said we'd advance a level per session.  That's what we signed up for.  It's a bit late to move the goalposts now by adding in that "... of adventuring" piece.  We'll adventure when we feel we're good and ready for it; fear not, your prep won't go to waste.(don't get me wrong - I wouldn't play in a game with advancement that fast in any case; I'm just trying to point out how a by-session advancement model can be gamed with such trivial ease)Long experience both as DM and player tells me this is - with very rare exceptions - not the case.Characters who don't contribute get - or should get, if the DM is on the ball - fewer xp.  But they still get a full treasury share; enhanced by the fact that the dead generally get nothing.  Five characters leave on an adventure - a me-first coward and four others.  Three of the others die; the fourth and the coward get to split the treasure 50-50 while three replacements are recruited.  Result: the coward has more wealth than anyone other than the "fourth" it was shared with.  Repeat this pattern long enough and eventually the coward - even though not always getting full xp for everything - becomes the most powerful character in the party or campaign.Sadly, at-table considerations (and, occasionally, drama) often prevent the party from booting the non-contributor even if it's what they'd do in character.And the risk-taking Fighter* at the front, even if played wisely, is still more likely to die or have other Bad Things befall it; and while other groups might run "party insurance funds" to pay for revivals, restorations, and the like that's rarely if ever been the case around here.* - or any other class; it's the risk-taking part that matters.</blockquote>

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