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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Barastrondo" data-source="post: 4846932" data-attributes="member: 3820">I don't think a story XP award system has to imply one or the other, though. If you see the lack of explicitness before the fact as a problem, then yes, you do kind of have to have the DM be determining the narrative early in order to map out its rewards. But at its heart, the story award is essentially a way for rewarding PCs for hitting narrative milestones. It might be useful to define specific milestones in advance, particularly if you're writing an adventure for publication, but in my experience it's not necessary for homebrew adventure. Everyone pretty much knows one when they see it. If the game's lively, they emerge naturally. You can run the risk of the DM determining priorities for the players with any XP system. Tying it to treasure or combat is essentially the DM saying "This is what's important." I think story awards are probably the closest current thing to an experience system that is genuinely emergent, though even then it's a ways off.Very dependent on system. Even using the "top fashion designer" stereotype, in 3rd edition or 3.5 D&D, absolutely being the equivalent of five normal men at killing goblins would make you better at Profession: Fashion Design. But remember, also there are story goals like "kill my father" (what if he's powerful?), "establish more influence for my royal house" (being a powerful hero might well be relevant), and so on. Agreed, though it cuts both ways: people who are not interested in racking up the treasure tend not to have their fun improved by the coercion of holding XP hostage for that, too — only the game is "The Price is Right," not "American Idol." As always, knowing (and respecting) what your players like about the game is going to be key at not making them feel like they have to jump through your favorite hoops to get a feeling of advancement. Oh yeah, common goals are highly useful. But even back in the old days, not everyone was playing the game for a "sword and sorcery" theme. With high fantasy as a highly effective gateway drug, people came to it with that attitude, and weren't necessarily weaned off it by other mechanics. Exploration is a great theme, and I've had a lot of fun games messing with it — but if players want to be proactively creative, exploration in and of itself isn't the greatest theme for them. It's too reliant on what the DM has prepared. D&D can do other themes like intrigue or romantic adventure (which can be very Ruggiero and Bradamante instead of Harlequin) quite nicely. Me, I tend to look at lethality and XP awards as dials to be fiddled with as the dynamics and tastes of the gaming group emerge. Of course, when I offer to run a new D&D game, usually it takes the form of a few specific pitches (Arabian corsairs; political exiles in an underground ruin; weird clans who live in a tremendous labyrinth; Celtic otherworld adventures). Once they've picked one and hashed out concepts, I tend to know just how traditional or non-traditional the game will wind up being. It's a compliment to the game that versatility like that can be implemented.</blockquote>

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