D&D 5E When to award XP?

[chriton227]

I've looked through the PHB and both of the Basic Rules documents, and the only things I can find about awarding experience are a comment in the DM Basic about how the experience multiplier for the number of creatures in an encounter is only used for determining the difficulty of the encounter and the stat block description explaining that XP is awarded for defeating the creature. Is there anything I'm missing that talks about when it is suggested to award XP and when the PCs get to apply any changes from leveling? Especially at low levels, it's very possible that PCs could have earned enough XP to level part way through an adventuring day and picking up the extra hit points and new abilities could be the different between pushing on and stopping for the day. I can see pros and cons to awarding XP and allowing new levels to take effect immediately, after a short rest, or after a long rest.

I've been running D&D since 2nd Ed. so I have no problem winging the decision, but I could see players and GMs just getting into D&D getting a little confused about how to do things. We just started HotDQ and it looks as if Episode 1 is designed to be run without an opportunity for a long rest until the end of the episode, although the encounters would have potentially generated enough XP for the PCs to level by about halfway through the episode.

 

[Tormyr]

Other times you could award XP include:

• When there is a chance of failure for something significant like if they overcome an obstacle. Generally this would be a puzzle kind of obstacle rather than a simple locked door or trap. Something that takes more than a die roll to overcome
• If they "defeat" an encounter without necessarily killing all the baddies like sneaking around. Do not give XP for these same baddies again if they are encountered and killed later.
• For significant milestones. My campaign has awarded XP when a puzzle was completed and a side quest finished.

Another thing to think about is that time is continuously moving. Just because there is a lot of stuff to do in Episode 1 does not mean it will all get done. The party needs time to travel between events, take a short rest, kill bad guys, rescue townspeople, etc. They realistically will not have a chance to do everything before the finale. If the party insisted on a long rest, they would find out that a townsperson had attacked the big baddie and lost during the night.

 

[aramis erak]

Note that the ALPG makes it clear that, at least in AL play, XP are awarded at end of session (p. 3, p. 10).

Really, I think the actual DM rules in the ALPG should be moved also into the DM Basic Rules. We're talking less than one extra page, and a world more clarity for newbs.

 

[KarinsDad]

I used to require a full night's rest (3E and earlier), but I've come to the conclusion that players enjoy leveling right away. I might still require a short rest (if I were DMing), just to have a demarcation point.

As for XP, I never hand it out. I just keep adding it until they level. There really is no need to futz with it with players. Leveling is the important thing, not XP.

 

[Joe Liker]

The answer is: Whenever it's makes the most sense for you and your campaign.

You might give it as it's earned if you are afraid you'll forget to include the reward for a certain event, or if you want to emphasize that a certain action did, in fact, earn XP.

Or you might want to tabulate it yourself and award a lump sum at the end of the session to keep the players more focused on the story as opposed to the metagame concept of level.

Or you might want to award it at every long rest (or even short rest) so that the characters will be prepared for tougher challenges ahead. In this case, you should make it clear to the players that they MUST have made their level-up decisions in advance so they can apply them quickly and move on. Otherwise, your session is going to wither and die.

 

[casterblaster]

The way I was taught and the way I have been doing it since 2e, award xp after an encounter (fighting it out or talking it out),after solving a puzzle, and after a quest was completed. I also don't allow the pcs to level up until they rest for 8 hours. I see it as the characters use this time to reflect on what they learned from the day or days. The pathfinder group I play in awards levels after each chapter of an adventure path is completed. Its really up to you as the DM how you want to do it. If the pc's enjoy leveling and gaining new actions or skills and more hp then I would let them level when they reach the required number. As long as everyone is having fun its the correct way to do it.

 

[Uder]

Best time to award xp is after pizza. That way you get more pizza.

 

[was]

..When I started DMing, I handed out XP after every encounter. That took up way too much game time.
..I then progressed to handing it out at the end of every session. However, players
either forgot to record it or lost character sheets and kept coming back to me to repeat it. I would have to keep records and tell players what they were awarded three or four sessions in the past.
...Now, I just keep a running track of all the XP and tell the players when to level up their characters. I usually do this at the end of the session. Many players want access to multiple books or they want to trick out their characters. It ends up taking way too long if done at the beginning or in the middle of a gaming session.

 

[Rygar]

Two good ways to handle it...

1. Award XP as events occur, level when enough XP has been accumulated. This is organic, represents well the process of getting better with practice. The downside is that it interrupts the flow of the game, and some things like Wizards picking free spells has to wait until after the adventure, which requires tracking.

2. Award XP at the end of the session or adventure. It is easy to have the leveling activities take place and nothing needs to be tracked for after the adventure. The downside is that it is a little jarring as the person "Just suddenly gets better", and while things don't need to be tracked for after the adventure, if you're a DM who awards XP for Roleplaying, exploration, or creativity, you do have to track those XP bonuses until the end of the session or adventure.

Personally I prefer the later. Invariably someone will gain a level in the last room before the end and break the flow and tension of the game.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Depends on philosophy of the GM, I do not let my players know their XP and keep track of it myself, rewarding for challenges and good roleplaying, team work, etc. If a character goes to the next level, the player is informed via note but cannot change the character sheet until a "in game rest break (camp for the night)" or after the session breaks.

I do this because I do not want interruptions to the game flow and by passing the note, the player feels the reward immediately and has investment in the game.