Roleplaying explanation for experience points and great power

[Asmor]

I love D&D, but one thing that's always bothered me is that there's no real reason why a 20th level fighter is so inherently godlike. Minus all his equipment that's a given at that level, he'd still be able to take down a legion of typical peasents.

I think I came up with an idea on how to explain that, and it also nicely adds a roleplaying explanation to the neccessary abstraction which we call experience points. I started off just thinking about a magical system where magical power was gained by learning secrets few people knew, thus the obvious wont of wizards to go out adventuring, cause ain't too many people seen the Forgotten Fountain of Deadly Stuff.

Then, I thought, why limit it to magic? This would be perfect for explaining how even an otherwise mundane fighter can be so vastly more powerful at the end of his career than the beginning.

Thus, I propose that power-- true, raw power-- comes from rare and secret knowledge and insight into the very nature and meaning of existence. The sort of thing that is the bread and butter of an adventurer who faces mortal peril on a daily basis and discovers things not seen by mortal eyes in millenia.

 

[Crothian]

Practic and expience makes one better at what he does. That's all the explanation I think is needed.

 

[palleomortis]

Alright, I got a visual, but you will have to set it up yourself. Take a black belt master at any type of martial art, and set him up agains a bunch of kindergarden kids, then see what happes.

 

[SWBaxter]

If I were interested in a coherent explanation for the ascent to godhood via killing things and taking their stuff, I'd probably go the Highlander route and say there's some kind of life force that accumulates as you kill things. Birthright is an example of a setting that did this fairly explicitly.

But I'm usually not interested in that sort of explanation, any more than I explain why comic book physics are in effect in a superhero game or why Newton's laws of motion don't apply in a Star Wars space dogfight. It's part of the genre, I just suspend disbelief and get on with the game.

 

[A'koss]

IMC, I also have an "in-game" reason why D&D-style improvement is possible. Quite simply, it was the divine essence released into the world after Ragnarok. Everyone now has a touch of the divine in them (not to mention various locales) granting them the potential for greatness. It doesn't matter what you do, you could be a seamstress, sailor or soldier - just so long as you strive to improve yourself you can tap into that essence and achieve greatness no ordinary human ever could. If you somehow manage to surpass 30th level IMC, in any class, you ascend and evolve into a higher being (quasi-deity-ish).

Cheers!

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Alright, I got a visual, but you will have to set it up yourself. Take a black belt master at any type of martial art, and set him up agains a bunch of kindergarden kids, then see what happes.

All this example needs is a lawnmower to qualify as "Worst Visual Of The Day"

Asmor,

Good explanation. Very Matrix-y.

There does come a certain point where the rules just break down. Imagine a wizard who creates five scrolls, blows up some orcs, gains enough exp to *barely* level, and gets hit with a request for another scroll. What's he supposed to say? "Sorry, but if I do that for you I'll forget all this stuff I just learned". It's crazy. Tapping into an internal resivior of power is as good an explanation as any.

 

[palleomortis]

All this example needs is a lawnmower to qualify as "Worst Visual Of The Day"

Asmor,

Good explanation. Very Matrix-y.

There does come a certain point where the rules just break down. Imagine a wizard who creates five scrolls, blows up some orcs, gains enough exp to *barely* level, and gets hit with a request for another scroll. What's he supposed to say? "Sorry, but if I do that for you I'll forget all this stuff I just learned". It's crazy. Tapping into an internal resivior of power is as good an explanation as any.

Hmm, I could do a lawn mower But why a lawn mower? I thought a fly swater would do the job.

 

[gizmo33]

I love D&D, but one thing that's always bothered me is that there's no real reason why a 20th level fighter is so inherently godlike.

Another possibility is divine aid - the hero has the gods on his side.

A related idea is fate. In this case "experience points" isn't literally "experience" but is instead a reward to the character that makes them increasingly "fated" to do great things. The character just finds himself increasingly capable of performing heroic feats, and realizes that luck and happenstance are pulling for him to accomplish great things.

 

[Umbran]

Thus, I propose that power-- true, raw power-- comes from rare and secret knowledge and insight into the very nature and meaning of existence. The sort of thing that is the bread and butter of an adventurer who faces mortal peril on a daily basis and discovers things not seen by mortal eyes in millenia.

I'd suggest not limiting the reason to "understanding", or else it tends to look funny when the character is a classic big dumb barbarian or the like. If I've got an Intelligence or Wisdom of 6, I'd better not become godlike due to "understanding" anything. I can barely manage tying my shoes, for cryin' out loud.

 

[palleomortis]

That's why they have vlecro!!