D&D 5E EXP options That we use.

[GameOgre]

I dislike giving out exp for monsters. My players tend to only do what earns the most exp. Every fight is my default "kill everything for the exp's" Even when I award exp for defeating the encounter or monster without fighting it.. they just fight it anyway out of habit.

A friend of mine doesn't give EXP at all. He just tells the players when to level up(they hate using this method).

I thought about awarding EXP for Gold and Treasure instead but 5E doesn't use a set treasure by level and I think I like that.

I saw a post once for pathfinder where someone had worked out a simple easy to use system based on encounters per level for fast medium and slow exp tables. It was something like every fight gave 1-3 exp and you needed like 20 to level (or something like that). That might work with 5E but I have not started to work on it yet.

So I thought I would jump on here and see what some of you have come up with for awarding exp that isn't in the book.

 

[MasterTrancer]

Well, as an alternative method you can try to give different XPs based on how the encounter was passed. E.g.: bargaining with the tribe's elders awards the PCs the whole encounter budget (let'say 1000 XP), while hacking through the tribe nets them only a fraction of that (say, 500 XP). And let them know AFTER.

In this way they will be aware that there are different ways of dealing with an encounter (which is not necessarily a threat); as you said, players will do what is more convenient for them.

Of course, this shouldn't mean that fight will ALWAYS be Worth less than parlaying, the scaling should be tied and coherent with the story and the setting.

Make sure though that you and your player have fun with this new approach: if they're just hopeless murder hobos (which is quite rare IME, but the world's such a big place...) go with the (blood) flow as long as you can enjoy.

 

[Astrosicebear]

There was a post on here about using the old 1E method of 1XP =1 Gold. Not sure if that equates out, but thats another method.

 

[Paraxis]

I just level up my players every few sessions after climatic story points or after major fights. But you don't seem to like that method. I would suggest writing down a list of the type of behavior you want from your players and also decide about how many game sessions you would like to see them play each level at. After all XP is just positive reinforcement.

So if you have an issue with players missing sessions, add attend the session to the list, if paying attention is an issue add that, if you want detailed journals or help maintaining a blog add that, if you want diplomatic intrigue, and so on.

So for example if you are running a campaign of spies and intrigue in a major city, your list might be something like this.

• Deal with an agresive situation through diplomatic means
• Discover an important secret about a key npc
• Keep a journal that represents your messages sent to your spy master
• Assassinations of assigned targets
• Theft of important information
• Survive
• Maintain your cover identity

Now you have a list of seven things you want to see the players/characters do, a few like survival and maintaining cover identity are hopefully expected every game and you expect atleast another two or three things from the list each session, so expected XP is 5 things accomplished each week.

If you think they should be at a given level for 5 weeks than set the XP needed to level at 25. You can weigh some items on the list more than others, like if you think a high risk assassination is worth 3 xp go ahead and do that.

After a little playing around you will have what you want desired behavior from your players and your desired amount of time at each level.

Players like XP because it is a tangible award they get at the end of the night telling them they got better and did a good job.

With D&D's focus on most XP coming from killing things, it is no wonder many games become kick down the door and kill-kill-kill, loot-loot-loot.

You can even customise the list for each player or add to the general list for each player, every time the Vengeance Paladin gets to uphold his oath and slay a great evil he gets XP, each session the Thief Rogue steals a object of value that is a challenge to his skill he gets XP, and so on.

 

[Blue]

There's a saying "you'll get what you measure". Talk with your group and figure out what you want to reward and give XP just for that. Perhaps something like assigning XP only for milestones and story objectives, with an extra bonus for great RP.

Rescue the mayor's daughter from the hobgoblins: 4000xp
Remove the hobgoblin threat to the town: 6000xp

Doesn't matter if they rescue the mayor's daughter by fighting through six encounters, by stealthing in and disabling the guards, or by finding out that the hobgoblins holding her are looking for an ancestral spear and you find it first and negotiate with them. Some of those may also fill the second point. Heck, you can have a lot of points, some contradictory.

 

[Agamon]

A friend of mine doesn't give EXP at all. He just tells the players when to level up(they hate using this method).

What reason do they give for hating it? No trust in you as the DM? I do it this way, and my players don't mind. I actually find it less arbitrary than just adding up XP for dead monsters, as the levels come when it makes the most sense.

 

[Pickles JG]

What reason do they give for hating it? No trust in you as the DM? I do it this way, and my players don't mind. I actually find it less arbitrary than just adding up XP for dead monsters, as the levels come when it makes the most sense.

I run this way too but sometimes as a player it can feel a little arbitrary as you are rwwarded with Xp no matter what you do. If xp are and feel like only a small part of the party achievement then this is lessened. Ie treasure, status and thwarting villains can be rewarding.

 

[Nebulous]

What reason do they give for hating it? No trust in you as the DM? I do it this way, and my players don't mind. I actually find it less arbitrary than just adding up XP for dead monsters, as the levels come when it makes the most sense.

I don't use XP either, haven't for years. My players could care less and it is far easier on me, not a bit of math to think about. I think some players (or many probably) like the feeling of granular progress as they creep toward the next level. XP just seemed so arbitrary and meant nothing to me until you hit X number that indicates you level up. :

If I were to ever use XP in a game it would have to be a completely revamped system built into the guts of character creation, where you use single points of XP to change attributes or buy abilities. Maybe GURPS is like that but i've never played.

Anyway, milestones seems like a good option as well.

 

[Pickles JG]

There's a saying "you'll get what you measure". Talk with your group and figure out what you want to reward and give XP just for that. Perhaps something like assigning XP only for milestones and story objectives, with an extra bonus for great RP.

Rescue the mayor's daughter from the hobgoblins: 4000xp
Remove the hobgoblin threat to the town: 6000xp

Doesn't matter if they rescue the mayor's daughter by fighting through six encounters, by stealthing in and disabling the guards, or by finding out that the hobgoblins holding her are looking for an ancestral spear and you find it first and negotiate with them. Some of those may also fill the second point. Heck, you can have a lot of points, some contradictory.

Nice way of doing it - DM lead rewards can feel a bit like social engineering but player buy in will mirigate that.
I would also point out you need to consider partial successes and even failures in your reward scheme.

 

[Astrosicebear]

If I had my way, I'd only award experience to players who let me get through a read-aloud box.