Natural Talent Explanation For PC Advancement Rate

[FireLance]

I've been reading a number of comments that PCs can go from 1st level to 20th level in a few game years, or that there would be an overpopulation of high-level NPCs, or that an average member of a long-lived race ought to be epic level under the current XP advancement rules.

However, one staple of literature and movies is that the hero or protagonist is naturally talented or gifted, able to pick up in a very short time what it takes ordinary people years to master.

Perhaps this could be the in-game reason why most ordinary people - the NPCs - are ordinary. They just don't gain XP at the same rate as PCs. Similarly, an average member of a long-lived race gains XP slower than an average member of a shorter-lived race. PCs are the exceptions - the talented ones that pick up skills and abilities at a much faster pace than an ordinary member of their race. Of course, there will also be exceptional NPCs that gain XP at the same rate as the PCs - these are the recurring villians that are able to stay on par with the PCs throughout their careers.

Thoughts?

 

[hong]

Thoughts?

Don't think. Thinking is bad.

 

[alsih2o]

your theory makes sense for at least some kinds of games. some people play for the historical realism, some for the literary quality.

i imagine your thoughts fit best with the second, as doo many of the game concepts and rules.

 

[s/LaSH]

It's an argument I've used myself. There are some people who just have better XP accumulation skills. Of course, there's a sort of counter-argument: XP are gained through killing things, so only those who go out and kill stuff regularly get XP, thus only adventurers become great and powerful people. (After all, why should a commoner go out and kill goblins? He'd much rather hold onto his innards and grow corn because it's safer.) But I like the 'chosen of destiny' schtick better.

 

[FireLance]

Technically, XP are gained by overcoming challenges. Unfortunately, the most obvious challenge is usually a monster and the most obvious way to overcome it is to kill it.

By the core rules, overcoming the challenge of traps also gives XP, even if you "overcome" the trap by springing it and surviving it.

My personal view is that we ought to have a wider definition of challenge and what it means to overcome it. In my book, if the cleric uses the Heal skill to cure a peasant's disease, he has overcome a challenge. If the fighter is on a sinking ship and uses the Swim skill to get to shore, he's overcome a challenge. If the ranger needs to cross a barren desert and uses his Wilderness Lore (or Survival) skill to keep himself alive, he's overcome a challenge. However, under the core rules, they would not get any XP awards for this.

But that's another thread.

 

[hong]

Technically, XP are gained by overcoming challenges. Unfortunately, the most obvious challenge is usually a monster and the most obvious way to overcome it is to kill it.

"Most obvious" != "exclusive"

My personal view is that we ought to have a wider definition of challenge and what it means to overcome it.
...
However, under the core rules, they would not get any XP awards for this.

Under the core rules, a DM can define anything he wants as a "challenge".

 

[fba827]

I've been reading a number of comments that PCs can go from 1st level to 20th level in a few game years, or that there would be an overpopulation of high-level NPCs, or that an average member of a long-lived race ought to be epic level under the current XP advancement rules.

However, one staple of literature and movies is that the hero or protagonist is naturally talented or gifted, able to pick up in a very short time what it takes ordinary people years to master.

<snip>

The one piece of this puzzle not accounted for is the fact that the ordinary people are just doing ordinary things hence they aren't gaining the xp at the rate that the PCs are.

Yes, the ordinary people *could* be doing extraordinary things such as the PCs, then, yes, as you lay it out, there would be lots of high level (and epic leveled long-lived race persons). But if they are spending day in and day out picking rice or smelting metal, it ceases being a challege (since they've attained "commoner levels) thus not affording them xp at the same rate.

If they were doing extraordinary things then (as said) they would all be much higher as you suggest but there wouldn't be as much for the PCs to do (unless it is a very hectic world with rejuvinating sources of challenges).

PCs may be "gifted" but at the same time, the basic "hero" idea is that they are are going out to do the uncommon (/unordinary) thing thus rising above the humdrum of day-to-day life as would a common person be facing.


(just my two cents).