The Illusion of XP

[Dinkeldog]

I use it because it works.

I use it because I'm intelligent enough to tell what constitutes a challenge and overcoming an obstacle.

I use it because it keeps the item creation feats in line.

I use it because it works.

If it didn't work, I'd fix it.

 

[Bagpuss]

I normally don't object on players doing things on their own. I did mind in two cases. The "wacky" kind was when it was a soloshow that was just a waste of the other players time (It doesn't have to be wacky to do that but the wacky ones I feel it's justified to prevent... Wackyness is a lot of fun at the right time and place). The second one, and the relevant one in my rant , was the one where it is done out of greed for xp. If somebody want to play a sologame then don't waste the others time.

The players get XP for being present at the game. It may be different from session to session but pressent players always get the same amount. I assume people are there to roleplay so the game itself should be motivation for that (My funny job)... not the xp. I wish the game to be as much theirs as mine so I will not constantly judge their actions with xp.

I'm not sure what you mean by solo play? Since XP however it is gained in my game is split evenly among the party.

Say the rogue wanders of ahead and disarms a trap, and then gets into a fight with a guard and kills him. Even though the rogue could be said to have done those encounters solo, the whole party share the experience. Since the rogue will probably have been healed by the cleric, perhaps made invisible by the mage and when he comes running back with a hoard of orcs chasing him he gets his neck saved by the fighter.

If the rest of the party wasn't there then you can bet the rogue would not have been alive to defeat the trap or find the guard in the first place.

If you turn up for a session you get the same experience as everyone else, which is based on the CR of the encounters the party deals with. Since XP is always shared soloing is a bad idea as you get most of the risk, but you don't get all of the reward, this encourages the party to work together.

As far as I can see this is how the DMG tells you to assign XP anyway.