Experience for nuthin and yo chicks for free

[Water Bob]

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You swing your bastard sword and watch your enemies flee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Experience for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta clear out the witch's coven
Crucify some bad guys and lynch some lackeys
We gotta move them with interrorgators
We ain't moved by their yells and pleas

See the little gobby with the earrings and get-up
Yeah buddy he ain't got no hair
That little gobby got tons of relatives
That little gobby's gonna be manure

We got dungeons and plenty o' plunderin'
Custom knives to slice 'n dice
We got movement among the horizon
We got 'em comin' across the levees

I shoulda learned to swing a sword
I shoulda learned to knock 'em dead
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the shield and thigh
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that ? Hobgoblin noises ?
Bangin' on the boy-yo's with one hand free
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You swing your bastard sword get your kicks for free

I tell ya, it ain't nuthin
Collective slicin' and dicin'
We gotta protect the instigators
We gotta move against the horde

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You swing your sword and watch your enemies flee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' get your chicks for free
Money for nothin' get chicks for free



-1988, Dire Straits (almost)

 

[Lwaxy]

Oh the memories, we had something close to this a few years back

 

[Water Bob]

This is another "I wonder who else does this" post. I started my campaign with the intent on playing through the characters' full lives (or...a lot of it. Plans are always flexible in an RPG).

We started the game with the characters at 11 years old. Each session, we skipped a year (played a session at age 12, then age 13-14, then age 15), and we watched the characters change from being children to warriors. Then, we went straight into their first bloody encounter.

Well, we've just finished that up. The PCs are returning to the village as heroes. Their clansmen will be suitably in awe of what these 16 year olds have accomplished.

Once they get back, I think it's going to be time to advance the clock again. I think I'm going to move it ahead two or three years. I'll quickly cover the time by allowing crafting, describing the general events that occur of the time, and take care of any long-term goals that the PCs can get done within the time frame (like learn a new language--stuff like that). I may even describe changing dynamics with NPCs and even introduce a new NPC.

Then, with the PCs now aged 18 or 19 or 20 (depending on how long I advance the clock), we'll begin the next great adventure that will happen in their lives.

I'm going to give the PCs XP for this time we skipped. Not much, but a little. I figure that they didn't stop learning and having at least some experiences as the time goes by--advancing them almost as I would an important NPC.

What I think is fair is 1,000 XP (3.5 based game) per game year. Since that works out to 2.7 points per day, I'll round up to 3 XP per day.

So, if I skip 18 months, then the characters get 1620 XP. If I skip 2 years even, I'll probably just give them the 2000 XP.





Now, before you D&D players start foaming at the mouth and telling me that my "system" is all wrong, know that I'm not playing D&D. I'm playing the Conan RPG, which is based on 3.5 E D&D (and, thus, has a lot of simularities). With Conan, the GM has total control of XP awards. There is not structed system as there is with D&D. Monsters don't have XP assigned to them, and there's no CR ratings. XP awards are whatever the GM deems appropriate.

The question of this post becomes: Do you skip time in your game? And, if you do, do you award some XP to the PCs to account for that game time not played?













EDIT: I meant for this to follow the Dire Straits OP, but someone beat me to second spot!

 

[Water Bob]

Oh the memories, we had something close to this a few years back

Somewhere on these boards are two more I posted: Flat-Footed! to the tune of Foreigner's Hot Blooded, and the other was Staggered played as The Rolling Stones' Shattered.

 

[Lwaxy]

We don't usually skip time, unless it makes total sense for the story.

 

[S'mon]

The question of this post becomes: Do you skip time in your game? And, if you do, do you award some XP to the PCs to account for that game time not played?

Yes, in many campaigns I'll skip time as appropriate.

No, I certainly don't award XP for time skipped. Why don't you deduct XP for time skipped as the PCs' battle skills atrophy through lack of use?

 

[Water Bob]

No, I certainly don't award XP for time skipped. Why don't you deduct XP for time skipped as the PCs' battle skills atrophy through lack of use?

You jest, but it seems appropriate to me to raise an NPC a level or so when time is skipped. Why wouldn't I do the same for the PCs?

So, let's say the PC's meet a young boot that has just joined the Duke's Guard. He's 15 years old and a 1st level Fighter.

The campaign takes the PCs away from that town, then several years are skipped. The PC's return to the town, but now, it's five years later. The NPC they met before is 20 and a veteran of the goblin front.

It would be appropriate to raise that NPC to level 2.

Why not do something similar for the PCs?

And, at 3 XP per day, they're not going to be madly gaining levels, I'll tell you that (not on the 3.5 XP Chart). But, they will get a little XP for training and off-camera XP for the time skipped.

 

[Lwaxy]

In those campaigns where players have several characters and don't use them all all the time, we still advance everyone based on the same logic. They would not have been sitting around drinking tea.

 

[Celebrim]

I want my...
I want my...
...DND

 

[JamesonCourage]

The question of this post becomes: Do you skip time in your game? And, if you do, do you award some XP to the PCs to account for that game time not played?

I do indeed skip time. We skipped five years the session before last. In one campaign a couple years ago, the players progressed from the very early 20's all the way until 90, when one died of old age (after ruling as king for 65 years, surrounded by family, including great great grandchildren), and another sacrificed himself on his birthday to perform a Greater Miracle (of the year he knew he was going to die of old age), while the third had made a deal to defend Celestia for eternity, and had become an outsider.

My RPG does award XP for training and for fulfilling your job (training more than just doing your job). So, yes, the PCs can gain XP from passing time. Additionally, they roll d100 on the "Background Chart" for each 6 months to one year that passes, and we see what happened that year, as well (capturing an enemy, making an ally, just paid for services, getting a magic item [on a roll of 100 only], getting wounded, etc).

So, yep. We pass time quite often. Probably once a month (real time) on average, but sometimes less or more often (depends on the current party). Their former PCs, a group of warlords ruling over an area, skipped time frequently. Their current PCs, a group of adventurers, skip time less frequently.

So, there ya go, Water Bob. Hope that answers your question! As always, play what you like