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<blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4842270" data-attributes="member: 80487">Actually, my statement regarding &quot;the old days&quot; is not quite accurate. The original set suggested pro-rating experience awards for characters of higher experience level than a dungeon level. The AD&amp;D DMG got a bit more detailed in considering the monster-slaying aspect, which obscured for some readers the subjective nature of the broader topic.The really fundamental consideration presented was overall degree of challenge posed to players, not merely to game-mechanical resources such as those afforded by character levels. Magical resources facilitating other approaches tended to increase along with fighting power. In general, it might be expected that even if a more cunning scheme were likely to be very much less risky or costly, it would require enough more ingenuity to effect as to make for an appropriate challenge. Creative thinking might be valued more highly than brute force, compared with an assessment in terms of odds of success.The point of pro-rating was to discourage &quot;XP farming&quot; via trivial pursuits. Personally, I have not found it necessary (which avoids some potentially awkward book-keeping). Simply placing treasures appropriate to the general and relative difficulty of acquiring them seems to work well enough, given the rough doubling of requirements most steps up to &quot;name&quot; level (and the huge numbers needed thereafter). I think the attitude of players counts for much, though. Those preoccupied with scoring XP above all else may have a higher tolerance for dull undertakings than I have seen.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ariosto, post: 4842270, member: 80487"] Actually, my statement regarding "the old days" is not quite accurate. The original set suggested pro-rating experience awards for characters of higher experience level than a dungeon level. The AD&D DMG got a bit more detailed in considering the monster-slaying aspect, which obscured for some readers the subjective nature of the broader topic. The really fundamental consideration presented was overall degree of challenge posed to players, not merely to game-mechanical resources such as those afforded by character levels. Magical resources facilitating other approaches tended to increase along with fighting power. In general, it might be expected that even if a more cunning scheme were likely to be very much less risky or costly, it would require enough more [B]ingenuity[/B] to effect as to make for an appropriate challenge. Creative thinking might be valued more highly than brute force, compared with an assessment in terms of odds of success. The point of pro-rating was to discourage "XP farming" via trivial pursuits. Personally, I have not found it necessary (which avoids some potentially awkward book-keeping). Simply placing treasures appropriate to the general and relative difficulty of acquiring them seems to work well enough, given the rough doubling of requirements most steps up to "name" level (and the huge numbers needed thereafter). I think the attitude of players counts for much, though. Those preoccupied with scoring XP above all else may have a higher tolerance for dull undertakings than I have seen. [/QUOTE]

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