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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Calculating XP drives me crazy
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<blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 2829237" data-attributes="member: 151"><p>[SHUDDER]</p><p></p><p>Perhaps this was assumed, PC, but here's a question worth asking: Is this to become your defacto standard for your D&D games, not just the defenders? I'm assuming the answer is 'Yes", since it sounds like you're as concerned with low-levels as well as high.</p><p></p><p>One thing I've seen with Action Points in use is that they ARE generally hoarded, just like any useful resource. The wizard doesn't use that Wish unless he thinks he has to, or unless he feels the story will demand it. Action points are the same way. This is more dependent on the players and on the individual game. </p><p></p><p>As long as were getting all heretical here, let me posit this: do you need levels and an advancement mechanic AT ALL? I hate to keep cribbing M&M, but I think it's a good model in many ways. In M&M, the Power-Level advances when the DM says it does. Of course, in M&M you have Power Points instead of XP, which are directly spendable on feats, powers, skills and so forth. You don't have that, and I'm not about to start suggesting an entire alternate system for that (as it would defeat the purpose of simplfying).</p><p></p><p>But let's consider: what do we need XP for, exactly? Only four that I can recall.</p><p></p><p>1) Item Creation</p><p>2) Levels (adding, draining, losing)</p><p>3) Power source for spells</p><p>4) Penalty to reinforce character design rules</p><p></p><p>We've discussed #1 and #3, and action points works just like item creation. Try playing an artificer, particularly at low levels, and you'll see that you often lose xp opportunities to create items due to time constraints as much as xp limits. This problem becomes obvious for any spellcaster at later levels. The flat calculation should solve the problem for that. Alternately, use the 'token' idea. Most of the XP spells are 'limit the players from casting them very often' spells, such as Wish, True Res and so on. You could just give them a flat number of uses for said spells, or again AP tokens. Rather than bother with individual costs (5000 xp. here, 1200 there), make it one token instead of an xp cost for any spell.</p><p></p><p>Levels could be given when you feel they should be. This obviously requires a great deal of buy-in from your players. Let me ask this: does the 'train for x weeks' restriction really need to stand? I know it's been there since day one...but your characters are epic beings, now....the very stuff of legend, and witnesses to some truly cosmic events. Wouldn't it better to claim that one of the gods changed the way things worked, rather than keep working with 'side-dimensional trips just to bypass the training time'? Perhaps have a rule that after 20th level, that restriction no longer need apply...or have it possible to do an insta-leveling using AP?</p><p></p><p>Now, one thing I haven't heard discussed is Multiclassing, and the XP penalties that may be associated with it. In all honesty, I've yet to have a player choose that option, because no one is willing to swallow the 10%+ penalty associated with it...but you should factor it in somewhere....IF you think it's even an issue. The main motivation is to reinforce certain design preferences and discourage min/maxing of certain combos. For a system, that's a big deal...for your game, not so much. Well, except for Ben. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WizarDru, post: 2829237, member: 151"] [SHUDDER] Perhaps this was assumed, PC, but here's a question worth asking: Is this to become your defacto standard for your D&D games, not just the defenders? I'm assuming the answer is 'Yes", since it sounds like you're as concerned with low-levels as well as high. One thing I've seen with Action Points in use is that they ARE generally hoarded, just like any useful resource. The wizard doesn't use that Wish unless he thinks he has to, or unless he feels the story will demand it. Action points are the same way. This is more dependent on the players and on the individual game. As long as were getting all heretical here, let me posit this: do you need levels and an advancement mechanic AT ALL? I hate to keep cribbing M&M, but I think it's a good model in many ways. In M&M, the Power-Level advances when the DM says it does. Of course, in M&M you have Power Points instead of XP, which are directly spendable on feats, powers, skills and so forth. You don't have that, and I'm not about to start suggesting an entire alternate system for that (as it would defeat the purpose of simplfying). But let's consider: what do we need XP for, exactly? Only four that I can recall. 1) Item Creation 2) Levels (adding, draining, losing) 3) Power source for spells 4) Penalty to reinforce character design rules We've discussed #1 and #3, and action points works just like item creation. Try playing an artificer, particularly at low levels, and you'll see that you often lose xp opportunities to create items due to time constraints as much as xp limits. This problem becomes obvious for any spellcaster at later levels. The flat calculation should solve the problem for that. Alternately, use the 'token' idea. Most of the XP spells are 'limit the players from casting them very often' spells, such as Wish, True Res and so on. You could just give them a flat number of uses for said spells, or again AP tokens. Rather than bother with individual costs (5000 xp. here, 1200 there), make it one token instead of an xp cost for any spell. Levels could be given when you feel they should be. This obviously requires a great deal of buy-in from your players. Let me ask this: does the 'train for x weeks' restriction really need to stand? I know it's been there since day one...but your characters are epic beings, now....the very stuff of legend, and witnesses to some truly cosmic events. Wouldn't it better to claim that one of the gods changed the way things worked, rather than keep working with 'side-dimensional trips just to bypass the training time'? Perhaps have a rule that after 20th level, that restriction no longer need apply...or have it possible to do an insta-leveling using AP? Now, one thing I haven't heard discussed is Multiclassing, and the XP penalties that may be associated with it. In all honesty, I've yet to have a player choose that option, because no one is willing to swallow the 10%+ penalty associated with it...but you should factor it in somewhere....IF you think it's even an issue. The main motivation is to reinforce certain design preferences and discourage min/maxing of certain combos. For a system, that's a big deal...for your game, not so much. Well, except for Ben. ;) [/QUOTE]
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Calculating XP drives me crazy
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