Erik Mona's Lo-Fi Experience System

[Erik Mona]

Running a game for eight players involves WAAAAY too much paperwork, so I am starting to take the knife to the d20 System rules in a way that makes the game more enjoyable for me and for my players.

The game's clunky XP system is my first victim, so last night I came up with what I call "Erik Mona's Lo-Fi Experience System." A lot of folks will think that it is too simple, but simple is exactly what I have been looking for.

I'm curious what you think of it, and in a shameless attempt to boost readership of my blog, I've posted it over there. Please drop by and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

--Erik Mona

 

[Psion]

I've long felt that the CR-based XP system is too tedious to be bothered with.

I keep the existing XP scale, but chuck XP by CR. Instead, I take an average per hour number determined by level, and stack on bonuses for achieving goals, being clever, and making things fun.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Admittedly, I don't run for 8 players simultaneously (at the moment) - but still, I'm just wondering in what way the core d20 XP system is "clunky", and where all this paperwork comes in.

Your alternative system looks usable to me btw, but I happen to quite like that particular core subsystem.

 

[Nellisir]

I think Diarmuid os'Oisin needs more XP.

 

[Aaron L]

Doesn't look bad at all. Maybe for magic item creation you could just charge 1/100th the normal XP cost for the item, with a minimum of one, and maybe 10 scrolls per point, or something? Same with spells and such. Just throwing out ideas.

I like using crunchy XP just as a matter of me liking fiddly stuff, but I can easily understand wanting something simpler with 8 players.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

It looks pretty useable. I'm not entirely convinced of the neccessity of limiting Developmental XP gain to once per level, but I can see where some limitation on it might be required.

Of course, I don't use XP at all in the games that I run, using a system with Action Points similar to that which PirateCat uses.

It's always a good time to see what people in the industry are doing with their games. Thanks for sharing.

Later
silver

 

[Psion]

Course making magic items under this system is a bit of a bitch...

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

It seems workable, depending on the group, but I think you're whacking the wrong mole.

And I disagree rather strongly with the assertion that the player's should be more attuned to what gives XP. That's something I think *should* be entirely on the GM's side of the screen. Players should see characters' mechanical advancement as a byproduct of ingame results. But I think your system (were it the de jure method) would actually aggravate players more as they start to feel shortchanged if every trivial NPC interaction or mid-combat soliloquy didn't get them their 2pts of XP.

I've used a wide variety of mechanisms from pure 1st Ed. to XP/hours played. It all depends on the group, really.

 

[Seeten]

Here is what I do in M&M, and what I'd do if I ran D&D:

Every few sessions, when it felt appropriate, I'd say, "Ok, everyone goes up a level." I'd also keep track of -xp from crafting and spellcasting, and inform spell casters if they dont level.(Iow, I'd probably just throw those penalties away, unless they were going hog wild crazy.)

 

[Crothian]

I've found that the current XP system takes about 10 minutes to figure XP. I just make sure I write down the Crs of all the challenges they face and looking them up is pretty simple.