OSR/older D&D and XP from gold - is there a "proper" alternative?

[Mordorandor]

Not the way I see it. 1 gold = 1 XP. It's just that you don't find much gold lying around in unchallenging places. Dragons DO guard their hoard, and if they don't guard it personally 100% of the time, they make sure there are other effective intrusion and theft countermeasures they can rely upon. No party of beginners will blindly stumble upon an unguarded dragonhoard just waiting to be hauled off.

Agreed.

I use the ratio approach to adjust. 10 party levels against 10 HD monster, 1=1. 20 kobolds against one 10th level Wizard, 1=1. 20 party levels against one 5 HD monster, 25% of XP value, based on the 1=1. They might find 10,000 gp on that line 5 HD monster, yet the XP would be 2,500 if they get it out of the dungeon.

 

[Les Moore]

Nope. The rule is you need to haul the gold safely back to civilisation. You get the XP when you put it into a "virtual bank account".
It's a bit like "milestone levelling": with XP for kills you don't level up in the middle of a fight with a big baddie, just after you downed a henchman (even if that kill would push you over the threshold), you level up after the fight during downtime.

I should have stated the premise better. They find the treasure, haul it all back, and then, by virtue of this massive windfall, are propelled into stratospheric
levels, due to GP/XP? You're avoiding the meat and potatoes of the question by hedging on a technicality.

 

[Mordorandor]

OSR/older D&D and XP from gold - is there a "proper" alternative?

I should have stated the premise better. They find the treasure, haul it all back, and then, by virtue of this massive windfall, are propelled into stratospheric
levels, due to GP/XP? You're avoiding the meat and potatoes of the question by hedging on a technicality.

Generally, no more than 1 level earned per adventure, regardless of XP potential. DM discretion on where the cut off is. B/X notes earn a level and go up to x,999, just before second level. Another adventure needed to push one into the next level.

If the PCs want to “feed” off the hoard for a while, leaving it in the dungeon, going back to get some to level up, then let the fun and hilarity ensue!

 

[reelo]

I should have stated the premise better. They find the treasure, haul it all back, and then, by virtue of this massive windfall, are propelled into stratospheric
levels, due to GP/XP? You're avoiding the meat and potatoes of the question by hedging on a technicality.

Good luck hauling a substantial part back to town (back and forth) before the big lizard notices and goes after you...

 

[Les Moore]

I would have to agree upon 1 level up per adventure. In this event, due to access to almost unlimited wealth, a PC could improve his lot
to the next level on affordability of premium equipment, alone. No more cheap hemp, low grade heavy armor, and bog-iron grade swords.

And granted that dragon is going to want his treasure back, so the smart play, IMO, would be to purloin small quantities, and attempt to hide
the theft, in this particular instance.

But let's get past the dragon, say it sees treasure missing, goes into a rage, gets ready to unleash a fiery retribution, and forgets, in his anger, to open his mouth, and his head explodes. Now the PCs play the given crawl to closure. The real question pertains to the massive haul, let's just argue
the party manages to rent a couple carts from a farmer, conceals the haul with hay, and drags two huge wagonloads of gold from the hoard back to the bank without anybody noticing. They now have a ridiculous amount of gold in the bank. What then, for GP/XP?

 

[Mordorandor]

OSR/older D&D and XP from gold - is there a "proper" alternative?

I’ve always viewed “gold as XP” as the MacGuffin in D&D that drives the story. Obviously, alternatives can be made. What I like about gold is the “limited resources” part of the equation. There’s only so much we can carry, do we sacrifice movement for more, etc.

 

[Mordorandor]

OSR/older D&D and XP from gold - is there a "proper" alternative?

...
They now have a ridiculous amount of gold in the bank. What then, for GP/XP?

That 1 gp bread now costs you 6,000 gp.

Oh, and yet another young kid is outside waiting to challenge you to a gunfight.

 

[Les Moore]

My point is I've found players are adept at "playing the system", and while GP/XP may be a reasonable general guide, in many instances,
IMO it should not be a set standard.

 

[Mordorandor]

My point is I've found players are adept at "playing the system", and while GP/XP may be a reasonable general guide, in many instances,
IMO it should not be a set standard.

Agreed. Players can play the system. I had a group one time that was so out to “play it and flaunt it,” I simply said, look, as the referee, I too can game the system.

“Innumerable specters appear out of nowhere. Your group is surprised.” Bunch of rolls. “You each lose 10 levels. Oh, you were only 2nd level? Hm. Well, that’s not a fun game. See?”

I had to dig a bit deeper to understand what it was they were really after.

 

[pemerton]

From Gygax's DMG, p 85:

If the relative value of the monster(s) or guardian device fought equals or exceeds that of the party which took the treasure, experience is awarded on a 1 for 1 basis. If the guardian(s) was relatively weaker, award experience on a 5 g.p. to 4 x.P., 3 to 2, 2 to 1, 3 to 1, or even 4 or more to 1 basis according to the relative strengths. For example, if a 10th level magic-user takes 1,000 g.p. from 10 kobolds, the relative strengths are about 20 to 1 in favor of the magic-user. (Such strength comparisons are subjective and must be based upon the degree of challenge the Dungeon Master had the monster(s) pose the treasure taker.)​

And from the PHB, p 106:

Experience points awarded for treasure gained - monetary or magical - are modified downward if the guardian of the treasure (whether a monster, device, or obstacle, such as a secret door or maze) was generally weaker than the character who overcame it. A 4th level character versus a single orc is an overmatch, and only about 10% of the treasure value gained could count towards experience points; but if nine or ten orcs were involved, the experience points awarded would generally be on the one for one basis.​