Getting XP without adventuring

[dead]

How do Commoners and the like go up in levels without adventuring. In fact, can any NPC go up in levels without adventuring?

I think it makes sense that a person could get more experienced through study and trade experience as opposed to getting it from slaying dragons and chasing goblins out of town.

I remember in the 2E supplement, "Bastion of Faith", there was a special table that dealt with this very dilemma. NPCs could, indeed, go up in level without "adventuring" but they took quite a long time -- in fact, years for each level. Also, there was a percentage chance you had to roll to see if you advanced after the specified time. If you failed, you had to spend one more year studying. This chance would get slimmer and slimmer the higher in level you got.

Nevertheless, at least there was a system addressing this issue.

How do other people deal with this? How do you rationalise the XP gained for NPCs in your game?

Also, if you think about this, it can apply to PCs too. For example, what happens if a PC decides to spend a full year studying or in weapons training. Does he get any XP?

 

[Fenes]

We don't use XP in my campaign. PCs level up when the group thinks it is time. NPCs get the level the DM sees fit, same for leveling up.

I don't subscribe to the "you need to adventure to advance" school of thinking. F.e. IMC, a wizard does not have to raid a dungeon and defeat enemies to advance - studying lore and tomes, or creating new spells works as well or even better.

 

[DragonLancer]

To be honest thats an aspect of the game that I don't worry about. XP isn't a visble effect, its just that the game uses it as a means of tracking advancement.

So if I want an NPC to be of level X then thats what he is. I don't think you need to worry about it.

 

[The_Gneech]

Life, baby! I've never slain an orc in my life, but I know (and can point to moments) that I've leveled-up more than once.

I D&D terms, my levels are probably all in commoner/expert, although it wouldn't surprise me if there was at least one level of Tough Hero in there.

I guess NPCs get all Story Exp.

-The Gneech

 

[dead]

To be honest thats an aspect of the game that I don't worry about. XP isn't a visble effect, its just that the game uses it as a means of tracking advancement.

So if I want an NPC to be of level X then thats what he is. I don't think you need to worry about it.

I don't worry about it either, DL. But I think that some system should be in place. For example, what if a player wants to have "time out" with one character. He just says: "This character is going to study for a year while I player my other PC." Now, what systems out there allow us to work out the XP this "inactive" PC gets? Or does he get no XP because he's not adventuring!

 

[Ambrus]

Sean Reynolds actually wrote a piece on his site about this very topic along with his theories about how NPCs level just by living their regular lives. It's pretty well thought out and sounds resonable, certainly worth reading IMHO. I don't really use it in my games, but it's nice to be aware of it when you're creating fleshed out NPCs. Since it's written by one of the game designers of 3rd edition, I suppose it could be considered semi-official, or at least as official an answer as you're likely to get on the subject. Here's the link:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/misc/theoryaboutpeasants.html

Hope it helps.

 

[Laurel]

I don't worry about it either, DL. But I think that some system should be in place. For example, what if a player wants to have "time out" with one character. He just says: "This character is going to study for a year while I player my other PC." Now, what systems out there allow us to work out the XP this "inactive" PC gets? Or does he get no XP because he's not adventuring!

Just a possibility, but maybe you both could just agree on feats/skills he could actually get while off studying. This way he is not going up in battle tactics if he is actually just sitting in a monastary studying gardening.
But, I think, he should get something for all the studying.

 

[jodyjohnson]

They gain experience by overcoming challenges just like adventurers.

Nonadventurers avoid even CR challenges like the plague and only encounter a few challenges per year that even rate XP.

Like adventurers they only get experience for overcoming challenges as part of achieving a goal so they can't just kill dogs, horses, cats, and random passers by to level. And to some extent just plain studying doesn't get them XP, pursuing a difficult topic would.

If a player wants to gain XP during downtime there needs to be 2 elements - risk and cost. So no experience for tasks that he can Take 10 on and the costs are forfeit if the task fails.

In other words I agree with SKR.

 

[the Jester]

I have created a variant xp system that gives about 100xlevel xp per session to pcs that rp a reasonable amount; so an npc who earned no combat xp could still theoretically get these xps.

10 sessions of rp xp only = 1 level.

How long is a 'session' to a commoner or expert? That's where it gets murky.

But really, I don't bother.

 

[Psion]

How do other people deal with this? How do you rationalise the XP gained for NPCs in your game?

Simple. XP are for PCs. That is all the system is made for. Trying to extrapolate it beyond that often makes for nonsensical results, and tracking XP for NPCs is largely a waste of time AFAIAC.

The only thing I would every worry about is if an NPC ever has to pay an XP cost (items, dying familiars, spells). I usually assume that an NPC is halfway through a level for that purpose.

I don't typically allow PCs to advance during downtime, unless there is a campaign hiatus, in which case I'll usually just catch everyone up until the same level.

I do have rules for training, but they are an additional requirement for level, not a means to it.