Calculating XP drives me crazy

[Thanee]

Hmm... I'd guess that your system makes item creation ridiculously powerful.

While I have absolutely no problem with calculating XP by CR (and do so, but also give ad hoc awards, which tend to be fairly generous, to reward the characters for their deeds to advance the story), I can certainly see how it can get a little tedious at times.

I would just give ad hoc XP (kinda like what shilsen said), based somewhat on what happened, but leave the rules intact for XP components and item creation.

It's probably a good idea to think about other penalties for dying and getting raised, the standard penalty of losing a level is a little too harsh IMHO and it can be double harsh depending on where your XP total is right now. I prefer to give a flat XP penalty of last level x 1,000 XP, but I have seen other suggestions here, which were pretty good, i.e. giving permanent penalties, which wear off or can be bought off after a time.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Ruined]

Hey Piratecat, if you get a chance, use your powers of Search-Fu on these boards and look for Rel's XP system. Rel had a pretty cool system that rewards Story Goals and Roleplay as much as Combat encounters. It gives a standard reward based on character level, and then multiplies that by the number of achievements covered over the session. I've used a variant of it for my campaign, with characters levelling an average of 1/6 sessions.

I swear by the system. Currently I have a spreadsheet where I've tracked all 104 sessions, and it's easy to update.

 

[Lorehead]

Hmm... I'd guess that your system makes item creation ridiculously powerful.

Mine? How so? The cost of creating items and casting spells is exactly the same as in the standard rules.

 

[Ciaran]

You could maintain a permanent pool of crafting XP that can be converted to (or from) APs, but pin the conversion rate to the character's current level. Say, each AP is worth (100 x level) XP. So if you convert 3 AP into XP at 2nd level, you get 600 XP. If you decide you need more AP at 3rd level, converting those 600 XP back to AP gives you only 2 AP.

 

[coyote6]

You know, I'm really liking the negative level penalty mitigated by a quest. It balances death, it is dramatic, and it provides plot hooks. The only problem comes when an ongoing plot makes it tough to take time out for side adventures.

You could allow a greater restoration (or restoration) to alleviate the penalty for some period of time (maybe a flat 1 day, or 1 hour/level for regular & 1 day/level for greater). That would cost money/XP to get rid of the penalty, making it something that the PCs won't want to just do all the time & skip the quest.

I really like that idea.

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

You could maintain a permanent pool of crafting XP that can be converted to (or from) APs, but pin the conversion rate to the character's current level. Say, each AP is worth (100 x level) XP. So if you convert 3 AP into XP at 2nd level, you get 600 XP. If you decide you need more AP at 3rd level, converting those 600 XP back to AP gives you only 2 AP.

You forget that part of the reason for this proposal is that PC is too lazy to do math

 

[Thanee]

Mine?

Piratecat's (from the first post)... doh!

Sorry, could have been more clear what this post is meant to reply to.

Bye
Thanee

 

[unleashed]

So folks know, I suggested the "AP + convertible pool" instead of all APs because I didn't want to effectively increase the XP pool for items and spells by an extra 5000 xp. At low levels, that would be problematic.

(To explain, remember that it's 5 AP + an XP pool. If you just give out AP that are convertible into an XP pool, that gives 1st level characters an extra 5000 xp to make items with. )

Easily fixed. The following system gives exactly the same XP as your current XP pool, if they are all spent in that way.

(Current Level -1) x 100 x AP spent

Of course you could also go to the standard AP system of 5 + (1/2 Character Level), and dial down the 100 to 50 (for the above calculation). This varies the maximum experience from -40% at 2nd-level (500 to 300) to exactly the same at 11th-level (5,000), and +50% at 20th-level (9,500 to 14,250) if all AP are converted to XP. Using this system, you should probably allow some XP to be held in a permanent pool at the following rate.

Current Level x 500

Note: Under this system 1st-level characters cannot convert AP to XP.

 

[FireLance]

My group has effectively been functioning "XP-less" for some time now. We basically assume everyone levels after every adventure, but that's because we like fast advancement. As a rule of thumb, we do try to ensure that the challenges overcome in each adventure (fights, traps, etc.) would be around what would be necessary to level the party up.

We use action points, and our house rule is that action points refresh to 5 + half character level + Charisma modifier every time the character levels. This is a fairly common house rule that gives high-Charisma characters a bit more of a tangible mechanical benefit.

For item creation, we use the RPGA rule that item creation costs 75% of the market price instead of 50% of the market price and some XP.

Casting a spell that costs XP requires a generic power component that costs 5 gp per point of XP. Casting a spell that costs 100 xp would thus require 500 gp of power components.

 

[Piratecat]

"Math is hard, I love shopping! Will we ever have enough clothes?"
~ Teen Talk Barbie

In fact, one of my unstated design goals for this system is having something that's so easy to remember that I never again need to reference it. That more a philosophical design tenet than anything else, I suppose, but it's also practical; my players will be more accepting of a change if it's easy to remember what that change is.

Thanee, I don't suspect that this system will make item creation really powerful. There are opportunity costs and tradeoffs that restrain whole-hog item creation:

- My PCs are lvl 20-22. The spellcasters will want to reserve xp for emergency wishes and miracles.

- A 3-for-1 xp conversion for supporting characters is prohibitive enough to make people think twice, but not so steep that they'll never use it.

- XP spent to make an item is lost APs, and item making still costs money and time.

You know, you guys are right that the whole "AP & xp pool" thing is unweildy. I could solve the problem just as easily by giving them colored stones to represent APs, but five of those stones are red and can't be turned in for xp. Or just noting it on the character sheet in two boxes, one for convertible and one for non-convertible APs. I'll give that some thought.

Do negative levels punish spellcasters (who lose a spell slot) more than melee types? I don't think so, because melee types lose to hit bonuses, but it's worth questioning. I love the in-game rationalization for the negative levels, the pale hero whose dreams are haunted by death. That kicks ass.