No XP penalty for anything, ever. It gives a negative vibe, and the organizational behavior it enforces is similar to disgruntled postal workers. Don't do it. Instead reward good behavior and ignore poor attitudes. Got a player problem? Work it out outside of game mechanics.
MoonZar said:
Wow this very good idea, i think i'll try to do this kind of promotion also...
After being with a group that has a reward for the best player, I have to say I'm not a fan of it. I don't use nor endorse individual XP awards, as who gets what and the amount can be very arbitrary. It also tends to promote competition within the group, not enforcing a teamwork atmosphere that I like to see. Instead of waiting to buff and act as a unified team, it leads to PCs running ahead, taking big risks, and spurring those who aren't stellar actors. The center of the story disappears against scoring more than the others sitting at the table.
IMC, if a single person does well, they garner the respect of the table. The extra XP earned from brave/smart/funny/etc. actions earns XP for the group, not just that particular PC. It's added in and divided up for the group, similar to how the players might divide treasure to make sure each got their fair share. Do people think they add more than their fair share to what is happening and not get more reward? Sure, everyone does, who doesn't think they did among the best at the table at the end of a session? Let me go home feeling that way; that's the game as I like it.
Lastly, no one wants to fall behind. To do it in front of other players is almost degrading. And to be held back for doing something that the player thinks the PC should do shouldn't be a debate between the player and DM as to who is the better judge of how the PC would behave in the DM's world. Have fun, don't punish, and if in doubt treat each PC with equal XP respect, even if the cleric refused to heal the wizard when she animated a pile of corpses that saved the party's behind.
