free xp

Barendd Nobeard · Aug 18, 2004

related(?) tangent

You'll never beat the classic:

Intercontinental Union of Disgusting Characters

Piratecat · Aug 18, 2004

Numion said:
The system that grants XP for dying?

When I started playing, I knew someone who REALLY didn't like their character or their DM (who was really controlling.) The player decided that in order to leave the game he would have his PC commit suicide. He threw himself over a really tall cliff --

-- and the DM gave him XP for killing himself, which raised him a level and gave him enough hit points to survive the fall.

I wish I was making this up.

maddman75 · Aug 18, 2004

Sir Elton said:
Not necessarily. A PC of any level should be able to handle any threat.

Um, wrong.

Group of 1st level adventurers against an Ancient Red Dragon. First round Dragon flies up on them and get suprise (almost certain) and breathes his breath weapon. Even if they all make their save (which they won't) they're all dead.

The level of the threat is irrelevent, and should be gauged to the level of the PCs. They are, after all, the star of the show.

MerakSpielman · Aug 18, 2004

Well, a group of PCs of, say, 5th level can take down a single troll, right? And get XP? So what if they defeat a troll, put the pieces in a box to regenerate, heal up, then let the troll out and fight it again? They're legitimately defeating it each time, and suffering the risk of it getting lucky and killing one of them, but that risk is small against just one troll.

Umbran · Aug 18, 2004

MerakSpielman said:
They're legitimately defeating it each time, and suffering the risk of it getting lucky and killing one of them, but that risk is small against just one troll.

If the risk is small, the reward is small. The DMG mentions that XP awards can and should be altered to match high and low risk situations that the CR alone doesn't cover. So, if the PCs manage to arrange to be able to kill a critter over and over at nearly no risk to themselves, it ceases to be a challenge, and they shouldn't gain anything from it.

Desdichado · Aug 18, 2004

Piratecat said:
I wish I was making this up.

I remember a KotD where the PCs would order monsters in a box. There was a little hole in the box where you inserted your sword to kill the monster and get easy XP. I think PC's quote applies here, but for different reasons...

maddman75 · Aug 18, 2004

I remember a guy trying the Troll trick back in 2e.

This thread is full of excellent reasons to just hand out XP arbitrarily, and make very clear that you do not get XP for killing monsters.

Ourph · Aug 19, 2004

Joshua Dyal said:
I remember a KotD where the PCs would order monsters in a box. There was a little hole in the box where you inserted your sword to kill the monster and get easy XP. I think PC's quote applies here, but for different reasons...

One of the early Dragons has a Dragonsmirth with a merchant standing beside a large wooden box. Painted on the side of the box, just above a small slit was "Insert sword here. 1500XP" (or something like that).

Of course, some DMs would have a rust monster in side the box, just to teach greedy PCs a lesson.

D+1 · Aug 20, 2004

maddman75 said:
The level of the threat is irrelevent, and should be gauged to the level of the PCs. They are, after all, the star of the show.

Um, wrong.

Generally, a campaign hums along with encounters geared to what the PC's can handle (more or less) but suppose there are tales of "The Great Dragon of Foofle Peak"? TRUE stories abound of the dragon laying waste to kingdoms and armies and having reaped 1/4 of the worlds treasure all for himself. If the PC's go to Foofle Peak when they are 10th level the level of threat being presented by The Great Dragon is NOT irrelevant. A Great Dragon geared to 10th level PC's is not necessarily all that Great if those tales are SUPPOSED to be true. Certainly, if the PC's are only 3rd level and decide that they can take on The Great Dragon they should simply be brushed aside and the players told, "How STUPID are you? Roll up new characters."

Generally the threat being presented to the PC's should be geared to the PC's level. Why? Because it's BORING if every encounter is a TPK or a cakewalk. It's more fun when encounters truly are challenging, even VERY challenging. But level of threat is never, EVER EVER irrelevant and should not ALWAYS be geared with exactitude to what the PC's can handle.

Sir Elton · Aug 20, 2004

D+1 said:
Um, wrong.

Generally, a campaign hums along with encounters geared to what the PC's can handle (more or less) but suppose there are tales of "The Great Dragon of Foofle Peak"? TRUE stories abound of the dragon laying waste to kingdoms and armies and having reaped 1/4 of the worlds treasure all for himself. If the PC's go to Foofle Peak when they are 10th level the level of threat being presented by The Great Dragon is NOT irrelevant. A Great Dragon geared to 10th level PC's is not necessarily all that Great if those tales are SUPPOSED to be true. Certainly, if the PC's are only 3rd level and decide that they can take on The Great Dragon they should simply be brushed aside and the players told, "How STUPID are you? Roll up new characters."

Generally the threat being presented to the PC's should be geared to the PC's level. Why? Because it's BORING if every encounter is a TPK or a cakewalk. It's more fun when encounters truly are challenging, even VERY challenging. But level of threat is never, EVER EVER irrelevant and should not ALWAYS be geared with exactitude to what the PC's can handle.

Hmm. You've contradicted yourself there.