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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 7573633" data-attributes="member: 6801845">Not that I'm picking on you, but this seems to be a common theme here.&nbsp; That the DM needs to reward people for things they are supposed to do as defined by the DM.&nbsp; Blech.&nbsp; I encourage, cajole, semi-direct PCs all the time, but it's through story and role play.&nbsp; Using explicit XP or pre-defined milestones pushes the &quot;it's a game&quot; aspect over &quot;it's a shared story&quot; aspect of the game.This is more my way of thinking.&nbsp; Actions have consequences, PCs have impact on the world and those around them based on action or inaction.&nbsp; Too &quot;lazy&quot; to stop the orc invasion?&nbsp; Well, sorry your favorite tavern is now a smoking ruin and Talley the little girl with a stuffed bunny you thought was so cute is now a homeless, just another nameless refugee.We're telling a story together, not just playing an advanced version of a board game.&nbsp; Most stories just logically have different chapters.&nbsp; As the story progresses the heroes get better, learn new skills, face tougher challenges.&nbsp; The PCs don't gain levels because they accomplished X feat or overcame Z obstacle it's because they're in a different part of the story and need more capabilities.Or going back to real life again, I feel like there were times when I learned more from a project that went horribly, terribly wrong than a project that went perfectly.&nbsp; Sometimes achieving a goal is a good thing, but I don't want to tie it to accomplishing something.&nbsp; Especially because I do very sand-boxy campaigns and there are frequently multiple threads.&nbsp; Happen to tie up several threads in one session and what ... gain two levels? Anyway, there's nothing wrong with any of the options for gaining levels (or tracking wealth for that matter, I tend to just hand out the numbers after the game session).&nbsp; Different people play for different reasons and my style probably isn't for everyone.&nbsp; It's just something I discuss with the players up front in a session 0.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 7573633, member: 6801845"] Not that I'm picking on you, but this seems to be a common theme here. That the DM needs to reward people for things they are [I]supposed to do[/I] as defined by the DM. Blech. I encourage, cajole, semi-direct PCs all the time, but it's through story and role play. Using explicit XP or pre-defined milestones pushes the "it's a game" aspect over "it's a shared story" aspect of the game. This is more my way of thinking. Actions have consequences, PCs have impact on the world and those around them based on action or inaction. Too "lazy" to stop the orc invasion? Well, sorry your favorite tavern is now a smoking ruin and Talley the little girl with a stuffed bunny you thought was so cute is now a homeless, just another nameless refugee. We're telling a story together, not just playing an advanced version of a board game. Most stories just logically have different chapters. As the story progresses the heroes get better, learn new skills, face tougher challenges. The PCs don't gain levels because they accomplished X feat or overcame Z obstacle it's because they're in a different part of the story and need more capabilities. Or going back to real life again, I feel like there were times when I learned more from a project that went horribly, terribly wrong than a project that went perfectly. Sometimes achieving a goal is a good thing, but I don't want to tie it to accomplishing something. Especially because I do very sand-boxy campaigns and there are frequently multiple threads. Happen to tie up several threads in one session and what ... gain two levels? Anyway, there's nothing wrong with [I]any[/I] of the options for gaining levels (or tracking wealth for that matter, I tend to just hand out the numbers after the game session). Different people play for different reasons and my style probably isn't for everyone. It's just something I discuss with the players up front in a session 0. [/QUOTE]

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