How would YOU incorporate Keys (an alternate XP system)?

[P1NBACK]

Keys are a concept taken from The Shadow of Yesterday, a very awesome free fantasy RPG. I'd like to incorporate them into a 4E game, possibly as an additional and/or sole source of experience points.

Here are two examples of Keys:

Key of the House Your character is a member of and dedicated to a House, one of the mercantile entities of Ammeni. Being a member of a House has great economic advantages, but requires much of a person.

• Gain 1 XP every time your character does something to benefit her House.
• Gain 2 XP every time she does something to benefit her house that causes her discomfort or inconvenience.
• Gain 5 XP every time she acts to benefit her House at the great risk of her body, reputation, or wealth.
• Buyoff: Act against the interests of one's House.

Key of Love Your character has a deep love, whether friendly, erotic, or familial, for someone else.

• Gain 1 XP every time this character is present in a scene with your character.
• Gain 2 XP whenever your character has to make a decision that is influenced by them.
• Gain 5 XP every time your character puts himself in harm's way or makes a sacrifice for them.
• Buyoff: Sever the relationship with this person.

Essentially, the way it works is, every time you act on one of your Keys, you gain experience in some way and it helps to facilitate roleplay and character motivation.

The buyoff is used when you want to get rid of a Key and take a new one. You get 10 XP for the buyoff, but you can never have that Key again once you use its buyoff.

I'm interested in applying this system to 4E. How would it work? Maybe in addition to normal XP? In lieu of normal XP? As a bonus in some other way (bonus action points or something)?

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[Camelot]

I've come across this system before, and I agree that applying it to 4e would really enhance the storytelling aspects of the game.

I would replace quest XP with key XP. Normally, an individual character gains 1/5 of their XP over a level from quest XP. At level 1 (to start simple), this is 200 XP per character. Translate the key XP as follows:

Instead of gaining 1 XP, you gain XP equal to 1/5 of a standard monster.
Instead of gaining 2 XP, you gain XP equal to 4/10 of a standard monster.
Instead of gaining 5 XP, you gain XP equal to a standard monster.
Instead of gainin 10 XP from the buyoff, you gain XP equal to two standard monsters.

So, in an average level, the character should gain XP in the following amounts:

Gain "5" XP 1 time.
Gain "2" XP 1 or 2 times.
Gain "1" XP 1 - 3 times.

The buyoff should be rare, only occuring after much character development, once a tier, if that. You could limit the buyoff to only being able to occur if the character had not gained any key XP during this level (since two standard monsters equals 1/5 of the XP needed to reach the next level). That would make it a gradual change from following your key, to being neutral to your key, to throwing away the first key and gaining a new one.

 

[LostSoul]

There is a neat thing that happens when you buy off a key. Since you get 10 XP to spend right away it can make for some dramatic moments.

My greedy pirate gained a conscience by trading the Key of Glittering Gold for the Key of Conscience, then used the other XP for an advance to raise a skill he used to keep a basilisk from stoning a bunch of elven children.

I think you'd want to keep that aspect. Don't limit the buyoff, and allow XP to be spent immediately for some kind of boost.

I'm thinking that you want the reward cycle to be: create characters with issues -> confront issues -> gain XP -> character's relationship to those issues changes -> confront issues -> gain XP -> etc.

The question is, how do the other subsystems (powers, HP, daily cycle of rest, levels, skills) work with that cycle? One thing that jumps to mind is powering Encounter and Daily powers with XP. 2 XP for an Encounter, 5 XP for a Daily? Maybe. 2 XP for an Action Point? 10 XP to gain a level?

 

[P1NBACK]

These are some excellent points, and the more I think about it the more I want to use a reward for Keys outside of experience points.

Like you said, recharging a power, gaining an action point, maybe even doing something like allowing a free feat after so many Key XP.

Hmmm...

 

[P1NBACK]

In doing some more research, I've found Clinton R. Nixon already posted something about using Keys in D&D. It's called Sweet20. Check it out.

 

[DevP]

Keys are a great mechanic, and I love the idea of recharging certain mechanics (daily powers / rests / recharging powers / action points / etc) when you enact or buyoff a Key. For example: only recharging Daily powers depending on gaining enough might feel like the extra power was tied to narrative flow, etc.

In my own experience with D&D XP though, levelling has been more a matter of group pacing rather than individuals scaling up on their own. Therefore, I'd rather plug in Keys into some other mechanic than XP. (Using the major/minor quests thing for Keys should work fine, I imagine.)

 

[LostSoul]

Yeah, you could keep track of normal XP for levels and use Key XP for something else.

 

[P1NBACK]

Good point. Typically XP = same for each character. Might tie this into recharging daily powers.