D&D General The Old "Boil an Ant Hill" Problem

[Fauchard1520]

Simple.

Offer ways other than combat to get EXP.

Well sure. But you're 15 XP short of leve-up at the end of the session. So you... what? Have a heart-to-heart conversation about your feelings for an other PC? Explore a new hex on the map? Resolve a moral dispute in the town market?

I'm all for non-combat XP, but what does that look like in the context of "I need just a few more before I hit 7th?"

 

[Richards]

Silly question, but about how many sessions does it take you to get through each adventure?

Or are you using "adventure" to mean "session" here?

In our case, we run usually through one adventure per session (unless the adventures are short, in which case we can occasionally get through two in a session). We're talking homebrewed adventures, by the way, not published modules (which I understand can get pretty lengthy). We play on Saturdays from noon until 5-6 PM and generally get in about one session per month, sometimes two if we're lucky.

Johnathan

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Well sure. But you're 15 XP short of leve-up at the end of the session. So you... what? Have a heart-to-heart conversation about your feelings for an other PC? Explore a new hex on the map? Resolve a moral dispute in the town market?

I'm all for non-combat XP, but what does that look like in the context of "I need just a few more before I hit 7th?"

Could always go do an oddjob related to your background/class or something.

Wouldn't give a lot of experience, but it would help for the situations where you have low double digets necessary to level up.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Hey, I'm only 2,148,400 335,000 xp short - can I just level up to L20 and pay you back over time?

[edited to note that xp levels aren't additive, but just cumulative]

 

[Eyes of Nine]

But in seriousness, I love the idea of xp credit. I probably wouldn't allow it except if someone is 5% of what they need to level. In other words, going from say 5th to 6th, they need 14,000-6500=7500xp to level. So if they are within 375 xp, I'd just give it to them...

But probably only if it's while they have downtime. If they are just taking a long rest in-dungeon? Nah. They'll get those xp tomorrow.

 

[The Green Hermit]

For those of you that use XP rather than milestone leveling: How do you deal with the issue of players wanting to earn the final few XP to level up?

I have a standing policy to allow "extra credit" projects for bonus XP. Stuff like in-character journaling, painting your mini, and for-the-good-of-the-order options like buying a new set of wet-erase markers or building a new initiative tracker all count. I find that preferable to going out and murdering the nearest wolf just to ding, but I suspect there are simpler ways to address the issue.

How do you guys handle it at your table?

(Comic Related. Also, Munchkin card related.)

If they want more XP, they go hunting monsters or take on a side quest that they have been avoiding. Otherwise they just have to wait until they get a bit further in the campaign.

Also, if they reroll their character, because of death, the new character starts at the first level of our lowest character's current tier and only has starting level equipment. If they want to swap out characters (not due to death/in-game consequences), I might let them start at their previous character's level, but only with the base XP for that level and only starting level equipment.

 

[The Green Hermit]

I don't do XP until everyone's put the dice away, so there's nothing to be done. If it were the whole party and we had time I might just level them anyway to save people wanting to do it mid-session next time, which I generally don't allow. If I had been aware of the numbers, which I probably should be, I also might have just bumped that's sessions XP award by enough to hit the level. I'm talking single or low double digits at most though. I don't mind putting my thumb on the scales for 13 XP or whatever, but not for 113.

I dole out XP as soon as the battle is over (otherwise I'd forget), but other than hit points, if a player isn't ready for his character's updated stats, it continues playing with only the previous level's abilities until the end of the session.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Your points re roleplay are good, but I find not using individual xp for combat makes playing a coward the most rewarding option in the long run, as you'll survive where others do not.

That said, if a character who focuses combat gets more xp for combat, a character focusing on diplomacy should get more xp for diplomacy, right? Otherwise what's the encouragement to play a negotiator or diplomat or "party face" type?

My characters get individual XP, but it gets divided equally amongst everybody involved in the fight (that survived). If it doesn't come off as equal, whomever the table feels was the most effective/dealt the determining blow gets the extra.

As far as quest XP, I keep a chart and characters who achieve certain parts of the quest get that part of the XP. I share out why, though, so the players can think of what they might do better next time.

 

[iserith]

In most adventures and campaigns, I had out XP immediately after it is earned and players can level up on the spot if they have earned enough.

If they are just shy of leveling up, well, I guess they better get some more adventuring in.

 

[Lanefan]

because you WANT to play it? Isn't that for d&d reward of its own.

For the players.

I view xp as more of a character reward, for what that character has actually done.

I don't think any of the players in my group would enjoy hanging back and missing out on all the combat. If a player plays like a coward, he could get his party killed, and then he will not accomplish anything in the game.

Yes he will - he'll survive while the rest die.

And my experience is that the rest don't all die at once. One dies here, one dies there, and over the long run the coward slowly comes out ahead in xp/levels even with individual xp and much more quickly comes out ahead in loot/wealth vs those willing to take risks.

Lob in group xp instead of individual and it gets even worse.