D&D General What Have You Awarded XP For?

[delericho]

Question about this aside from the XP question: Are random encounters always bad in your games?

I only ask because I try to mix the kinds of random encounters that are possible. Like it could be a ravaging monster, but it could be a group of nomads on the road who share their camp and/or warn about a ravaging monster down the road and the best route to avoid it. It could be even be a weather event.

Yep, you're right enough - they're not always bad. The examples you give could all happen in my games.

It's mostly the no-XP/no-treasure thing I wanted to emphasise.

 

[cbwjm]

I often hand out story rewards. If the players complete a minor story goal, the party gains 5% of the xp needed to reach the next level. A major story goal is worth 10%.

I keep a table of the various goals with a column for "awarded" and one for "notes" so that I know if they succeeded at the goal and if not, why not. Sometimes it's as simple as the players not following up with a lead.

 

[Vaalingrade]

XP is too gamey. I prefer the mechanics stay as under the hood as possible.

I really have never understood the philosophy of how a game can be too gamey.

 

[Lanefan]

I've given xp for all sorts of in-character things including most of that list and more, and characters have gained (and lost!) xp in batches due to Deck of Many Things draws and so forth as well. I've never done xp for treasure, but compensate a bit by giving out a "dungeon bonus" on completion of a mission or adventure.

The one thing I won't do in any form is give xp for out-of-character activities such as bringing snacks or writing journals or whatever. I see xp as being a reward, as far as possible, for the character rather than the player.

 

[Stormonu]

All of the above, in one form or another.

We once had a bowling night where characters got XP based on their bowling score (I think it was 10 XP * score). Mostly, done because the group was within a few hundred XP of the next level, and I wanted a reason to get everyone together to have some fun.

I've stopped handing out XP. I used it at the beginning of the edition to get a sense of how quickly characters should advance, but now that I've got a sense of that (too slow for my tastes, it turns out), I just let the players level when it feels appropriate, and the game is progressing.

 

[TerraDave]

But even when we played with experience, we never gave incentive for behaviour of the player, especially those that should be their own reward like roleplaying. If you like roleplaying, do it, if you don't enjoy it, don't, it's a game, played for fun, it's not there for the DM to train you to behave in a certain way.

And the same for snacks, honestly, is bribery or having financial means something to be rewarded at a TTRPG table ?

I was with you until that last part. I have sometimes given inspiration for snacks, but there is a more general principle: bring beer or cookies or something to the DM or you get what you get.

 

[Lyxen]

I was with you until that last part. I have sometimes given inspiration for snacks, but there is a more general principle: bring beer or cookies or something to the DM or you get what you get.

And is that a good thing in your opinion ?

 

[Tallifer]

I and other dungeon masters in my circle award experience for most of the above (except snacks and roleplaying), and we also award points for art, writing (from brief dry situation reports to fancy backgrounds or NPC descriptions) and maps because that stuff really helps the campaign and the table. It encourages involvement and gives everyone a chance to do their thing.

For more illustrations of our adventures you can peruse my webcomic Tales from the Gnomish Tarot

 

[TerraDave]

And is that a good thing in your opinion ?

I think snacks are good. Respecting the DM is good.

So is having a sense of humor.