Earning XP

[JoeGKushner]

It's been a while, but another one of the things I liked about True 20, was that you leveled when the GM said you did.

Didn't have to do any lame divison of xp based off cr vs character level with multiple divisions being needed for mixed party levels.

And if that's not going to be the case, CRYSTAL CLEAR instructions on awarding experience points for things outside of combat. Serously.

 

[Mouseferatu]

They've said in so many words that XP are still part of D&D as of 4E.

They've also said (I think) that any encounter--be it fighting a dragon, talking your way past a guard, or even climbing a dangerous mountain pass--grants XP.

 

[coyote6]

They've also said (I think) that any encounter--be it fighting a dragon, talking your way past a guard, or even climbing a dangerous mountain pass--grants XP.

I wonder if there will be ways to make things like a dangerous mountain pass more interesting to game; right now, the combination of Survival & Climb checks, trap-like events (e.g., avalanches, etc.), and narration seems to lack something; it's just not as interesting as combat, IME.

Maybe something like Spycraft's dramatic resolution system?

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I am curious as to how they will handle XP in 4E. More concrete rules on non-combat encounters would be good.

I'm also interested to see if there will be any individual XP awards. Something that I always found strange in 3.xE was that the whole party shared the XP for the Rogue finding and disabling a trap. Yes, I know that the Fighter didn't get more XP for killing most of the baddies, or the Cleric XP for healing the party. However, the Rogue and trap situation often involved the Rogue risking his life to disable a trap while the rest of the party stood well out of range of any potential danger. I understand why they gave XP to everyone (so everyone co-operates and the Rogue doesn't get huge amounts of XP by himself) but it still isnt' logical to me.

Olaf the Stout

 

[The Human Target]

They've said in so many words that XP are still part of D&D as of 4E.

They've also said (I think) that any encounter--be it fighting a dragon, talking your way past a guard, or even climbing a dangerous mountain pass--grants XP.

If they're going to keep xp, I'd be glad if it would work like that.

 

[Lanefan]

I'm also interested to see if there will be any individual XP awards. Something that I always found strange in 3.xE was that the whole party shared the XP for the Rogue finding and disabling a trap. Yes, I know that the Fighter didn't get more XP for killing most of the baddies, or the Cleric XP for healing the party. However, the Rogue and trap situation often involved the Rogue risking his life to disable a trap while the rest of the party stood well out of range of any potential danger. I understand why they gave XP to everyone (so everyone co-operates and the Rogue doesn't get huge amounts of XP by himself) but it still isnt' logical to me.

It isn't logical, and also isn't fair, and needs to be house-ruled into oblivion by any DM worth playing under.

Same goes for a combat where the tanks do all the work while everyone else hides and cowers...the tanks should get the ExP. Or if the entirety of an encounter with some undead consists of the Cleric turning them away, the Cleric gets the ExP. I also do it that if somebody's entire participation in a combat is to get knocked out in the surprise round without ever knowing what hit him, he gets very few or no ExP - I mean, how do you "learn" by passing out?

This is in part why 1e had differing bump rates for different classes; the designers knew some classes were more likely to get involved in more events and encounters than other classes.

Lanefan

 

[Olaf the Stout]

It isn't logical, and also isn't fair, and needs to be house-ruled into oblivion by any DM worth playing under.

Same goes for a combat where the tanks do all the work while everyone else hides and cowers...the tanks should get the ExP. Or if the entirety of an encounter with some undead consists of the Cleric turning them away, the Cleric gets the ExP. I also do it that if somebody's entire participation in a combat is to get knocked out in the surprise round without ever knowing what hit him, he gets very few or no ExP - I mean, how do you "learn" by passing out?

This is in part why 1e had differing bump rates for different classes; the designers knew some classes were more likely to get involved in more events and encounters than other classes.

Lanefan

Of course the reason they do it is so that the party works together as a team, instead of finding ways to steal each other's kills. There must be some happy medium though.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Treebore]

Of course the reason they do it is so that the party works together as a team, instead of finding ways to steal each other's kills. There must be some happy medium though.

Olaf the Stout

Yeah, by having a group mature enough to realize it will all blance out in the end, if the DM knows what they are doing. So they play as a team because that is the best way to survive, and gain XP's.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Of course the reason they do it is so that the party works together as a team, instead of finding ways to steal each other's kills. There must be some happy medium though.

Olaf the Stout

Man, what a flash back to Rolemaster that was! Even the mage, out of power points, would leap into combat in order to earn that 'kill' xp.

 

[MerricB]

There will be XP.

It's also been noted that interaction will be more like combat - a series of rolls.

Cheers!