Was AD&D1 designed for game balance?

[Votan]

Some DMs ruled that XP was only received when the treasure was spent, giving the players a choice between having a treasury or having levels.

What a really clever idea! The best way I have heard in ages to make players have "watrel" characters (as, for example, Conan was in the comics).

 

[Hairfoot]

Anybody actually get why you gain experience points from treasure?

To discourage combat as the solution to everything. When the mechanism for gaining levels is getting the loot out intact, rather than building a body count, players get very crafty and innovative.

 

[Garthanos]

To discourage combat as the solution to everything. When the mechanism for gaining levels is getting the loot out intact, rather than building a body count, players get very crafty and innovative.

That really only works as a reason if you get noticeably more xp for gold than killin things ... I am almost liking the idea that spending the loot is where you gain experience(s). --> It has a sort of logic to it. Though not all expenditures seem equal.

If the goal is saving the princess that might require that killing monsters bit anyway. And snagging the loot is a failure too.

 

[Garthanos]

The rationale is in the 1e DMG.

"because X said so" is only a reason if you are talking to 4 year olds ... or something like that. (you might guess I am not religious).

 

[billd91]

"because X said so" is only a reason if you are talking to 4 year olds ... or something like that. (you might guess I am not religious).

Except that if you want to know 1e AD&D's rationale for giving XPs for treasure, there's not many better sources than the 1e rulebooks. But ultimately, this has nothing to do with any kind of religiously slavish approach to a sacred book. This is about researching primary sources. And the primary sources on 1e AD&D are obviously the rulebooks.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Some DMs ruled that XP was only received when the treasure was spent, giving the players a choice between having a treasury or having levels.

This is what I always did in D&D, probably one of my first ever house rules!

It worked nicely in terms of getting treasure back out of the PCs hands and into the campaign world. I didn't care whether the player spent it on training, on access to a library or on ale and ladies of ill repute, but if they spent it, they got the xp.

It also allowed me to make up a nice little table of NPC level by age and profession; I assumed how much 'weekly spending gp' they would have by profession (peasants least, nobles most) and then see what level they would be at what age. It was just a useful little rule of thumb so that I could judge what age a particular noble or peasant should be for his level.

Cheers

 

[Hairfoot]

This is what I always did in D&D, probably one of my first ever house rules!

Now that you mention it, you're probably the "some DMs" I'm remembering.

I don't quite understand what you mean about the NPC age/profession chart. How do you transfer the PC's spending of treasure into a standard for NPCs?

 

[Nikosandros]

That really only works as a reason if you get noticeably more xp for gold than killin things

Which is exactly the case in AD&D 1e.

 

[Raven Crowking]

"because X said so" is only a reason if you are talking to 4 year olds ... or something like that. (you might guess I am not religious).

Except that if you want to know 1e AD&D's rationale for giving XPs for treasure, there's not many better sources than the 1e rulebooks. But ultimately, this has nothing to do with any kind of religiously slavish approach to a sacred book. This is about researching primary sources. And the primary sources on 1e AD&D are obviously the rulebooks.

Indeed. Having asked if a rationale was ever given, and having been referred to where it was given, one would think "thank you" a more appropriate as a response.


RC

 

[MerricB]

Moreover, the Treasure Types assume the maximum number of creatures, according to the 1e DMG, with small numbers having correspondingly less treasure.


RC

Unfortunately, the Monster Manual specifically states that the treasure type is based on the mean number of monsters (equal to the average in this case).

Cheers!