Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
I greatly prefer the 13th Age XP system - there isn't one. 13th Age is a d20 OGL game that came out before 5e by some of the lead designers of 3ed and 4e, but it's a streamlines, fast running game like 5e.
Basically, the DM gives out an incremental advance even session or two, which is part of what you get when you level. When you've accomplished some milestone she tells you to level up. You don't collect and count the Incremental Advances, they are just to keep your character growing.
I'm meh on 4e, but one of the things int he rules was treasure packets - divorcing treasure from looting monsters. Kill the bandits in the forest, maybe you loot their corpses for a treasure packet. but scare them off so they don't hit the taxmen anymore, the sheriff will reward you ... one treasure packet. Figure out that the bandits are fighting unjust taxation and join them, your share of the next heist plus a magic item they had around they couldn't use is ... one treasure packet.
The idea of doing that XP, so if you solve a problem by diplomacy, by stealth, or by killing the game doesn't penalize you for two of those three, is a strong one.
And from there, some tables may wonder why they need the middleman of XP at all, when really all they are is currency to collect for the level.
Basically, the DM gives out an incremental advance even session or two, which is part of what you get when you level. When you've accomplished some milestone she tells you to level up. You don't collect and count the Incremental Advances, they are just to keep your character growing.
I'm meh on 4e, but one of the things int he rules was treasure packets - divorcing treasure from looting monsters. Kill the bandits in the forest, maybe you loot their corpses for a treasure packet. but scare them off so they don't hit the taxmen anymore, the sheriff will reward you ... one treasure packet. Figure out that the bandits are fighting unjust taxation and join them, your share of the next heist plus a magic item they had around they couldn't use is ... one treasure packet.
The idea of doing that XP, so if you solve a problem by diplomacy, by stealth, or by killing the game doesn't penalize you for two of those three, is a strong one.
And from there, some tables may wonder why they need the middleman of XP at all, when really all they are is currency to collect for the level.