Have You Ever Given 0 XP, or Taken XP Away?

[WayneLigon]

Have you ever had a session go so badly that nothing got accomplished and so no XP was earned, or (in systems other than D&D, generally) no XP was awarded (Especially XP you get for 'showing up')?

Have you ever taken XP away? Not counting level drains and things like that. I mean 'That was the worst thing I've ever seen. You're suppossed o be Lawfull Good yet you burned down the orphanage when the orphans wouldn't surrender their gold teeth to you. And you still got the teeth! Mark off 2,000 XP'.

(I honestly forget the only game I've ever seen that explicitely told the GM to deduct XP; I think it might have been second ed. Champions, or In The Labrynth).

Have you done any or all of these things, then later recanted your decision?

 

[Crothian]

Yes, but not to everybody.

The group is in an area the undead have control of. They hide out in an old church and make some defenses but for the most part the group is really falling apart. Some of them are talking about sacrifing the NPCs to the mob of undead they know are coming so they can get away. The game was designed for them to be heroes.

The mob of undead shows up and all but one of the PCs acts cowardly. They hide in the church and do nothing. One guy got fed up and went outside to take on the mob. He was luckily and survived winning the day. He got all the XP that day, everyone else got nothing.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I don't think I've ever given 0, but I have taken it away. Again, not from everybody, just a particular player at the time.

Though to balance things out (karmicly speaking), I've given exp to characters whose players weren't even ther!

 

[BlackMoria]

Yeah, I have done both. Call it the heavy hammer of DM fiat applied liberally to the totally clueless or those whom "are unclear on the concept"

 

[lukelightning]

I'd only give 0 xp to characters who did nothing. Even if they did the wrong thing they should get xp.

A lawful good person burning down an orphanage? Sure, here's some xp, and by the way, take that LG and make it CE.

 

[boerngrim]

I once penalized a player on xp not due to any in game action, but for being a rude, disruptive, and inattentive person who was hindering the other players' enjoyment of the game, as well as mine. I don't know if it was the "right" thing to do, but it got his attention and got him focussed on the game and he became more of a team player.

 

[Thanee]

No, never.

You learn from errors as much if not more, even if you do something bad, it's an experience.

And there are other methods of punishment.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Melan]

Very early in my DMing career, I deducted XP from players who were dicks IRL. In hindsight, I should have just told them to get better or go away... as I eventually had to! (And after that threat, they indeed got better.)

There was also the threat of changing a PC's alignment and thus reducing him in level. I never ended up really doing it, although it was a real borderline case - CN being the poor man's Chaotic Evil and all that...

 

[howandwhy99]

Of the very few times I DM'd before this edition I actually penalized one player with negative (below 0) XP once. When you have to fight just to play, the folks you end up playing with aren't necessarily the greatest. This was back in 1988-89 and I think the kid was 13 and completely screwed up. His play consistently ruined the game for others, but after I gave out the negative XP I was chided for it. I agreed with that then and now. Punishment isn't the DM's job.

 

[Kafkonia]

I voted the "on crack" option, but I could foresee giving 0 xp for a session if none was earned...