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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sunseeker" data-source="post: 6690305">I always assign XP/levels at the end of a session (and have done so since long before 5th) and here are my thoughts:Your players need motivation to keep moving forward instead of setting down for the night.  Needing to catch up to someone.  Needing to stop the doomsday device.  Needing to get the princess to the wedding on time.  Etc...  Keep the goal in sight or the threat near.  If the party starts to slow, they hear the conspicuous birdcalls of the bandits who are chasing them.  As they crest the hill, they see the Shining Tower of Peace in the distance.  Parties are more inclined to stay on the move when they  can track their own progress by in-game methods.  The threats don't need to be progressively harder, so fight #1 may be defeating the Balor, while fight #11 may be against the last few cultists who won't surrender.  You'll need to get the players to change their mindset from "achieve the task" to "complete the zone" sort of mentality.  If you're familiar with MMOs, think of this as doing the side-quests in an area, or clearing the trash before a raid boss.  Yes, your goal may be to achieve the Orb of Power, but the reason you're catching up to Joe is because he has stopped at the various Stones of Destiny and infused them with Infernal magics in order to corrupt the Pristine Forest.  So while Joe needs the Orb to complete the ritual, how powerful the Orb's effects will be are based on how many of the Stones are infused.  -To sum that up, players need to get in a "completionist" mindset in order for this carrot to be effective.  Extra XP won't be enough incentive if the players feel the "direct approach" is the more effective solution than the "complete approach".  I totally reward my players more (though I don't use a fixed metric) when they complete more things in a given quest, time-period or area than they need to.I think though, one of the keys is to not tell people how much extra they're going to get, or even mention they'll get extra.  Rewarding the players because they choose to go the extra length (even though that's what you want them to do) and think it's their own idea, I've generally find eventually gets people to understand on some fundamental level that extra effort means extra rewards and they continue to do that long after your game is over.TLDR: I ramble, it happens.  Extra rewards for "doing more" is definitely beneficial, but you have to make players feel like it was their choice to go the distance.  I wouldn't tie it to a XYZ of encounters.  I'd tie it to a level of general accomplishment of the goal.  Saving the princess is good...but what about her matched luggage?To use your example, it's not to say the 8th Balor is worth more, or less than the 1st; but that the 8th Balor represents the last Dark General of the Unholy Armada and defeating him leads to breaking the coordination and morale of the army, even though all you had to do was route their assault on the Crystal Citadel.  It's a matter of permanent solutions instead of temporary fixes, that's what really earns them that bonus XP.</blockquote>

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