When to award XP?

[DonTadow]

I could never do XP at the end of a session because I need time to prepare the XP award in the form I hand it out in.

The stuff listed is stuff the PC can get without needing training (based on actions in game) otherwise any other feats/skills require training to gain/improve.

Two questions. How often do you hand out the forms and is this a form you can share?

 

[Zethnar]

I vary a lot in when I give out XPs. As a general rule its at the end of a story arc. For me a story arc can vary between a multi adventure "Convince the council to aid you in your war against the dark god" or a single sessions "Travel from the heart of the empire to the western Border Kingdoms."

Basically its whenever the characters reach a specific milestone in the campaign's story. Sometimes this means that we can go around a month or two (we play two out of every three weeks) without me handing out any xps. Course this means that as soon as I do hand any out then everyones going to level, which will all be done at the start of the session.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

XP? What's XP?

In my Ivalice homebrew, I just tell the players when they level (usually about every other session). Classes with XP use aren't available in this world, so...

Once I wrap up this campaign and move on to Spelljammer, I may try the "in-session levelling" system, which I dearly love from basically every non-P&P game that has levels. Which would have been particularly appropriate for Ivalice, but... meh.

 

[el-remmen]

Two questions. How often do you hand out the forms and is this a form you can share?

Hand out forms?

You means the award notes? As I said, I have hand out XP 12 times in 4 1/2 years that my current campaign has been going on.

And if by the second question you mean that you would like to use this format, go ahead. . .

 

[LogicsFate]

AHA! I give my expirence out at the Beginnig of a session or in the week betweeen sessions. It allows me time to figure out who gets what eXP for what.
PCs get eXP on a weekly basis and best of all it doesn't bog down the game

 

[kigmatzomat]

I tell people when they level up, which means I've "handed out" XP 17 times.

I don't want the players to know when they are only 50Xp short (though I usually go ahead and award them the XP) so they don't start picking a fight just to level. Besides, I give it out when it makes the most sense for the plot. It rarely makes sense to level up overnight (too many casters) but sometimes it does.

 

[Ibram]

Almost always at the end of a session, so that any leveling can be done out of game. Sometimes I'll do XP before a game, but thats usualy because I was to tired or had somewhere to go after the last game.

 

[DonTadow]

I tell people when they level up, which means I've "handed out" XP 17 times.

I don't want the players to know when they are only 50Xp short (though I usually go ahead and award them the XP) so they don't start picking a fight just to level. Besides, I give it out when it makes the most sense for the plot. It rarely makes sense to level up overnight (too many casters) but sometimes it does.

I've never thought it makes sense to level up during one or two weeks of training either. I keep imagining a sports montage of some sorts. The reasoning behind the leveling up as soon as you gain the level is that, as you fight monsters and overcome obstacles you slowly are leveling as you go. Leveling is a consistent action the character is doing everytime he earns XP. When he hits that "magical limit" wotc sets, he just gets the stats for his continuing experiences.

 

[theodinheadbasher]

I always do it after either a story arc, or if the story arc is really long, a major safe point. I do this simply because we play so often(i live with my group), that if I were to tally it every single session, I would be tallying every night, and seriously, thats just too much work for me.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

End of the session, bonus and story xp at the end of the adventure. (Bonus XP for things like exceptional roleplay, problem solving, and heroics beyond the call of duty.)

The Auld Grump