Alternate XP System

[Beard in the Sky]

I am about to start a campaign using several of Necromancer Games' modules at the same time: Vault of Larin Karr, Tomb of Abysthor, and the Hall of the Rainbow Mage. My problem is that I am not running the PCs straight through any one of them, but rather letting them sort of bounce back and forth as they see fit. What I am concerned about is them gaining too much XP and bypassing certain parts of the campaign. I realize that I can just adjust the encounters, which is ok within reason, but I would like to avoid this as much as possible. Also, I realize that I can just cut back on their XP but this is a group that will get very frustrated if they don't feel like they are seeing some progress (not a level a session, but maybe every two or three). Has anyone else had this problem? If so, any recommendations?

 

[Piratecat]

I'm lucky enough to have players who like a slow advancement. If you want to provide for a distinct sense of advancement, make sure that they get awarded xp after every session.

Heck, if you know that you want them to advance once every two or three sessions, don't bother figuring out xp at all. Just give them enough to boost them to the point where you want them. Never tell them this, though.

 

[S'mon]

I don't think the game is really playable at high levels (11-20) with advancement 1 level/2 sessions, even the DMG standard of 1 level per 3.333 4 hour sessions seems too fast, although if PCs are losing levels through death it probably works out. I don't cut XP IMC though, if anything I give more than book XP, but I have a large group (7 PCs) and tend to be a bit of a killer DM.
I can't give much advice except keep a tight rein on level advancement, 3e scales so fast that an adventure 2 levels over effective party level is usually a death trap, and 2 below a cakewalk.

 

[glass]

I'm lucky enough to have players who like a slow advancement. If you want to provide for a distinct sense of advancement, make sure that they get awarded xp after every session.

Heck, if you know that you want them to advance once every two or three sessions, don't bother figuring out xp at all. Just give them enough to boost them to the point where you want them. Never tell them this, though.

One of my current DMs used to just tell us to level up every few session, when he felt it was time. Only trouble was, it played merry hell with my wizards item creation feats.


glass.

 

[Davelozzi]

There's a chart for slow advancement in Necromancers' Player's Guide to the Wilderlands book. Although really, it's so easy to slow advancement that you don't need it.

I told my players that advancement is pretty fast for the first few levels (about standard 3e rates, though I use my own system) then slows down. Currently, they are mostly sixth level and advancing roughly about every 4-5 sessions or so, with most sessions being 3.5 hours and the occasional weekend double session.

I generally assume that in a regular (weeknight) session, they can earn roughly 1,000 XP if they play real well. Generally each character gets somewhere between 850 and 1,100. Longer and/or more important sessions see higher awards. It's been working pretty well, I've heard no complaints.

As PC suggested, just be sure to award XP after every session so that they can see thet they're making progress, even when they're not actually crossing the hump.

 

[Trainz]

Use the alternate X.P. progression in the DM's guide.

IIRC, you give your players 300xLevel XP per game session. Give 200 or 400 for slower or faster progression.

I used that system once and it worked fine (with d20 Modern).

 

[scholz]

Use the alternate X.P. progression in the DM's guide.

IIRC, you give your players 300xLevel XP per game session. Give 200 or 400 for slower or faster progression.

I used that system once and it worked fine (with d20 Modern).

Or come up with some other alternative. Like no leveling until certain tasks are accomplished. SO if you don't want them to be 9th level when they face Monster X in Adventure #2, just stipulate that they can't make 9th level until they reach that point (if you can specify it without giving away too much). That would also give them incentive to accomplish those goals.

 

[Beard in the Sky]

What are the overall, longterm effects of the alternate XP progressions in Unearthed Arcana? The one with the alternate chart seems to slow things down a good bit it the middle, which I like, but does it make things much much slower at higher levels (15+), which I am a -little- leery of?

 

[Trainz]

It is exactly the same progression as the core XP progression, except that you don't have to do the extended calculations with a mixed level group of PC's, and you don't have to cross reference a chart.

It just gets ridiculous at levels 30+ ( I have done the chart for up to level 60 / CR 60).