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RPG Evolution: Older Than You Look
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 8799196" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p>One of the issues with age in D&D is the word "experience points." Because it has the word "experience" in it we reasonably assume that includes life experience. Except for most of D&D's history, that was almost never true: killing monsters, carrying out treasure from a dungeon, solving challenges. It's more like "adventure points."</p><p></p><p>But because it's experience points, there's an expectation that lived-in experience (old age) implies you get experience points simply by living. D&D just doesn't model that well. Unfortunately much of the game's nomenclature implies that it DOES, in part because D&D's combat roots bias experience towards combat even though the game encourages all sorts of non-combat. And yet the system doesn't support the other two pillars in the same way. Without DM intervention, there isn't a challenge rating/experience point award for social interaction and exploration. </p><p></p><p>And thus the "if you're so old, why aren't you 20th level?" question. The flip side of this is the game doesn't model prodigies and kids with destinies particularly well either. Harry Potter/King Arthur types with massive (but uncontrolled) power at a young age seems like a cheat in D&D when that character would normally be 1st level because of his age.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 8799196, member: 3285"] One of the issues with age in D&D is the word "experience points." Because it has the word "experience" in it we reasonably assume that includes life experience. Except for most of D&D's history, that was almost never true: killing monsters, carrying out treasure from a dungeon, solving challenges. It's more like "adventure points." But because it's experience points, there's an expectation that lived-in experience (old age) implies you get experience points simply by living. D&D just doesn't model that well. Unfortunately much of the game's nomenclature implies that it DOES, in part because D&D's combat roots bias experience towards combat even though the game encourages all sorts of non-combat. And yet the system doesn't support the other two pillars in the same way. Without DM intervention, there isn't a challenge rating/experience point award for social interaction and exploration. And thus the "if you're so old, why aren't you 20th level?" question. The flip side of this is the game doesn't model prodigies and kids with destinies particularly well either. Harry Potter/King Arthur types with massive (but uncontrolled) power at a young age seems like a cheat in D&D when that character would normally be 1st level because of his age. [/QUOTE]
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