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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fajitas" data-source="post: 2825301" data-attributes="member: 377">I am fascinated by this conversation, as I also hate calculating XP.  I've pretty much defaulted to a system wherein the PCs level whenever I want them to (about twice a year), allowing me to coordinate leveling with convenient story goals.  Up until recently, we didn't really have anyone making magic items or casting spells that cost XP.  But, this most recent roung of leveling, we did start running into that problem.  I figured that the amounts of XP involved were small enough that they wouldn't cause any serious problems, but that's a stop-gap solution at best.Your system, however, seems like a much better long-term solution.A couple of specific notes/comments:1) I use Action Points in my game.  I loves 'em (though I use the D20 Modern rules, where the number of dice you get to role increases as the PCs go up in level; is that not how Eberron works?).  I definitely encourage not making Action Points bankable.  When you know anything you don't use goes away, you're much more inclined to use them.  I've had PCs use action points on the most ridiculous things: trying to get an in-game promotion, or not pass out after drinking badgerbite, because they know they'd better use 'em or lose 'em...2) For character death, I tend to deal with it in a very non-quantifiable way that models the slow catch-up of the normal version, but doesn't actually require me to calculate XP.  Again, I set leveling times based on story convenience, and have characters who are lagging behind the rest of the group level-up at different times than the rest of the party.  That is:Joe dies and is raised at 10th level.  The rest of the party is 11th.About two-thirds of the way to the party hitting 12th level, Joe hits 11th.  He gets to be at the same level as the rest of the party for awhile.The party hits 12th level.  Joe remains at 11th.About half-way to the party hitting 13th level, Joe hits 12th.Everyone hits 13th together.Couple this with the loss of the Action Points as a result of death, and you get something that sounds pretty good to me.  True, not everybody levels at once, but it keeps Joe from feeling totally screwed compared to the rest of the party, yet still penalizes him for dying.Also, it avoids the weirdness of Joe jumping two levels at once.Admittedly, I tend not to worry about training time in between adventures, as I feel that just interrupts the story.  Thus, Joe can level in my game while the PCs are traveling to their next adventure, rather than having to hold everybody up for weeks while he trains.An alternate scheme might be to let it take three levels to catch up, and nix the Action Point penalty.  Under that scheme, it would probably look something like:Joe hits 11 when the rest of the party hits 12.Joe hits 12 shortly before the rest of the party hits 13.Joe hits 13 about half-way through the party's 13th level.Joe hits 14 with the rest of the party.It's not elegant.  It's not publishable.  But it works for me.Can't wait to see what finally gets worked out here, as I'm almost certain to yoink it myself.</blockquote>

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