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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 9234872" data-attributes="member: 6796661">One thing I like about more granular leveling rewards is it give players options and control over what they will do to level.  I realize that , in the end, it is all GM fiat to some degree. The GM populates the adventure area with foes, goals, and treasure. One thing I like about mini milestones based on a mixture of location discovery, foes defeated, quest goals met, macguffins found, etc. is that it incentivizes a broad range of activity across all pillars of play. Players can choose to focus more on defeating foes in combat but will still need to engage in other activities. Or they can avoid most, but not all, combat and still get sufficient XP to level. It is true that a DM offering XP on the fly for a various activities gives even more freedom to the players to play however they want, but their is something satisfying about having known XP goals you can choose to go after. Perhaps it is a bit to video-gamey, but it has worked well in play when I've used it. I'm liking how Warhammer does it. You give XP each session, end of the adventure, and end of the campaign based on broad parameters: poor, good, and exceptional performance. The only thing I am not comfortable with is the GM sections guidance to determine performance level based on "cooperation, good roleplaying and making the experience fun" and added bonuses for "for excellent roleplaying, teamwork, or otherwise getting in the spirit of things."  Similar to how I am not a fan of inspiration as written in the 2014 PHB, I don't like to be in a position of judging how well the players role play.  I find it silly to punish players for poor at-table behavior with XP. I'll talk to them and maybe not invite them back if there is a problem. Using in-game mechanics to enforce social behavior or encourage a style of play weirds me out. Instead I make an (admittedly subjective) determination at the end of each session on how much the characters accomplished and how successful there were in meeting the objectives they set for themselves. I will give a bonus when they take risks, to offset poor overall result but interesting, creative, and/or bold attempts. I realize I'm still incentivizing game play, but it just feels less like judging whether they are having good fun / bad fun or are good vs bad players. Or maybe I'm still doing exactly that and any system where leveling is based on action you take in the game are doing that. In WFRP, XP is also awarded when a PC achieves a short-term goal that the players set him/herself, giving the players an opportunity to have a great deal of control over how their PCs gain some XP.Anyway, I'm comfortable with how WFRP 4e does it. I find it easy and fair as a GM and I enjoy it as a player. Because advancing attributes, skills, talents, and careers is so granular, their are constant incremental awards and incremental improvements, each session. As a player it gives me a nice little dopamine hit each and every session. I'm finding it more satisfying than D&D class-level advancement.</blockquote>

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