What is XP?

[jester47]

I have actually been thinking about this very question also. Here are some of my conclusions:

1. XP really does not matter until you cross the level threshold.

2. Characters are unaware of thier XP.

3. Power Levels are not arranged in heirarchy.

4. Power Levels are not represented by politics or anything else in the game world.

Using XP the way it is to make things or cast spells is purely a game mechanic to keep the players from making the sword of god over two weeks when they are only going to be fighting CR 1 creatures. The proof of this is the fact that a fifth level wizard cannot expend more than 4999xp in one lump sum or between adventures. This is because he cannot level drain himself. This means that after creating a magic item said wizard can still roast you with a fireball the next day.

Forgive me for using mechanics in my discussion.

Here is how I see power levels and XP. You could have a world where everyone was somewhere between level 15 and 20. Even the commoners etc. All the monsters are of appropriate CRs. So even your orc gaurds are level 15. This game would play like a game that was run between levels 1 and 5. The only difference is that people would be able to do a lot more. But lets make spells really really rare. Anything more powerful than 5th is almost unheard of. Metamagic becomes very useful. When you ponder this, you see how the system is really independant of the characters and story.

I see XP and power levels as a measurement of ones control over destiny in general. The more powerful a character grows the more control over their own destiny and the destiny of others they weild. So if you had a confrontation between a 1st level wizard and a 5th level commoner it is very unlikely that the wizard is going to win. He simply has little control over the destiny of this commoner, and in fact it is the commoner who destiny favors. When a character expends xp, they are sort of expending some control over destiny. When a wizard makes an item, he is sharing some of his control over destiny with others. This leads to him loosing some of his control over destiny. Thus in the story at the first meeting of two characters one may be able to do nothing against the other. So then after some time, the one that originally could do nothing, eventually becomes able to do so. So a halfling warrior could eventually take down the lord of trolls, while this halfling only first met him about a year ago.

The ability to advance monsters and add levels to many of the creaturesin the MM is one of the many things that makes 3e so great. You can concievably fight the same type of humanoid all the way into 20th level. Your opponenets don't have to change as you get more powerful.

Aaron.

 

[s/LaSH]

Here's what I think:

XP is not experience.

It is a measurement of advancement most of the time, true. But you don't use your XP total as an adjustment on any rolls. No, you use it to calculate your overall power level, your vibrancy, your core energy or whatever.

Someone with more XP is more powerful. Why do they have XP? I don't know. Maybe they beat up monsters, maybe they spent 20 years studying calculus. Maybe they're just better than you, like dragons - a dragon doesn't have to get XP to grow, after all.

In my opinion, the XP drain doesn't go far enough for the desired effect - you're supposed to be drained after crafting your masterwork. Not gaining a level as fast isn't the same as being debilitated. You haven't forgotten anything - you're just debilitated by the energy drain. Like glandular fever or something.

While we're at it, I reckon energy drain attacks should do XP damage, not abstract levels. That way some pathetic wraith isn't much of a threat at all to a level 20 character.

Rant rant rant. I'll just finish with my point that item creation assists your ability to fulfil your goals, even if you give it to your friend the fighter. So you're not suffering at all by crafting items - in fact, you're helping your cause. That's something people often lose sight of.

 

[JoeGKushner]

XP is a way to control pieces in a game, nothing else. Think of how ridiculous both the class and leveling system are as a result. You have to ignore the fact that all player characters are stamped out with a very limited cookie cutter in order to present a world in which people in general are well-rounded and realistic. And leveling...months and months of no improvement in anything you do, followed by an overnight quantum leap in skill in almost everything you do?! There is no possible way to connect such a system to reality, in my view.
Cheers

The only problem here is you're not describing experience points. You're describing levels. People gain XP in Hero, BESM, GURPS and other point based systems with no 'leveling' effects.

The second part, the quantum leap... well, depends on the genre. Very common in anime, comics, and other 'high' action series. Compare Neo in the Matrix when he strats to where he's at now. He can litteraly 'jack' in any skill so to speak.

For me, xp is the accumulation of lived experience. The current system still fails to reward actual training. It' odd to think that someone trained by ten of the worlds most dangerous swordsmen would still be 1st level unless the GM was willing to play heavily with the XP award system.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

I now have players who are scared of making magical items just because they know that burning the XP will leave them behind, especially compared to Fighters and Rogues who have no reason to "burn" XP at all.

Can I suggest you have a look at the "Path of..." books by Fantasy Flight? The ability to advance in non-class "schools" of fighting styles is a great way to let fighters customize themselves and burn XP without selling the farm balance-wise. Ditto for the rogues and in fact all the classes, but fighters in particular will be tempted to learn several "schools" and burn a ton of XP that way.

Besides, I just find it wonderfully creepy to think that Wizards are actually putting a small part of the souls and/or memories into the items they make.

Yeah, me too. Plus, it really puts some meaning into building some magic items and giving them away like party favors - after all, it *should* be a special and significant event for a player to make a magic item. It shouldn't be run-of-the-mill day to day standard operating procedure.