Goal-Based Level Ups

[GMMichael]

If the group can figure out a way to mitigate risk and achieve the goal easily, that should be what they do. They should not take risk for risk sake. I want my players motivated in ways the characters if real would be motivated. No one wants to take a risk if they can avoid it. Not all risks can be avoided though and when the prize is great the risk may be worth it. . .

This is why the role of GM is so important. The PCs will if given their way play a low risk easy game that leads to easy success. Why? Because that is what humans do? The GM's job is not to let them have it that easy by putting NPCs and challenges in his sandbox that represent real challenges and real risk for the PCs. The PCs will love you for challenging them and making their success feel all the more real.

"No one wants to take a risk if they can avoid it." This does not, in my experience, describe D&D players. I just watched two allies turn into ice statues by taking a 100% avoidable risk (Icewind Dale).

I fully support players making decisions as if their characters were real. I think Goal-Based levels support this over mainstream XP systems:

Mainstream:
I'm sooo close to my level-up! I should just go murder a goblin.

Goal-Based:
I'm sooo close to my level-up! Hmm, which goal can I achieve quickly?
Session: get out of bed (achieved).
Character: find my lost step-brother.
Party: protect the village from goblin raiders.
Story: convince the duke that the village is worth protecting.
Well, I know what my next session goal will be!
(And the GM can make getting out of bed REALLY interesting next session.)

 

[pemerton]

HARP has goal-based advancement. I've also seen it as a Rolemaster variant, I think in the Guild Companion.

 

[Fenris-77]

I don't think rewarding success is they way I'd go. A party can be well prepared and still fail at something, but that doesn't mean they didn't grow or learn anything as characters. That also can add an adversarial cast to the relationships at the table, which I try to avoid like the plague.