Why Calculated XP is Important

[Fenes]

Why not give out XP for those things?

You can ask the player, "What does your character want?" Then give them a bunch of XP when they do that or accomplish something related to that. If you wanted to emphasize inner conflict, you could award XP if they choose to do the opposite, something that moves them away from their goal.


I think XP works best when it's reinforcing what you already want to do. It's not a carrot driving behaviour, it's the cherry on top of the cake.

Because how would you weigh the XP? One player tracks and kills a thief, the other practises his oratory skills, the third seduces a noble and the fourth frames a guard captain for a crime. Who gets how much XP?

I do not want to weigh those actions, nor do I want to judge what is more fun for the players and "encourage" them accordingly. They know what is fun for them.

 

[Stoat]

For a long, long time I gave out small "bonus" experience points to players who did something clever, noteworthy or particularly funny during the game. It was a little post-game ritual that we all enjoyed.

For example, I might say:

Everybody gets 5,000 exp for killing monsters and another 2,500 exp for stopping the cultists of Dagon from completing their evil plot.

Kent, you get an extra 250 exp for coming up with the plan to distract the high priest with stolen gnomish fireworks.

James, you get an extra 250 exp for taking the lead in negotiating with the mayor and general good role-playing.

Leo, you get an extra 150 exp for cracking me up with Monty Python quotes.

I've found that little rewards like that encourage my players to talk to NPC's, try unusual plans and crack wise during the game.

 

[maddman75]

For me it depends on the style of the game.

I currently run a quasi-campaign in 4e. Its Keep on the Borderlands converted to the new rules. I run it as a sandbox adventure. Its my fill in game if a key player can't make it for one of our regular games, or my 'hey its Tuesday nothing to do you guys wanna game?' Part of my assumption is that the keep is full of adventurers coming and going, and whoever is around tonight decides to go mess with something. Whatever, doesn't matter to me. There's some hooks to go into the Caves but they could just as easily take out the lizardmen nearby or go exploring. The assumption is that at the end of the game everyone returns to the keep, so there's no reliance on who was here last time or any of that. But it is a dynamic place. If players A, B, and C go to the caves and slaughter the goblins, then a week later players D, E, and F go out the goblins will be dead.

For that game, I use calculated XP. It makes sense, as I can't just level everyone at the end. Who knows if they'll be able to be there next time. It also measures a character as more experienced at going into the Caves.

For a longer term dramatic game, I would use the highly scientifically accurate 'you go up whenever I feel like it' method. I wouldn't punish someone for nonattendance, as I don't look on XP as a reward but a measure of experience. In this case if the character wasn't at the game they were certainly doing *something*. And I'd rather keep everyone at the same level so we don't run into any narrative problems with everyone trying to do the same thing.

XP style should depend on your game style.

 

[Cadfan]

I'm with Fenes. I don't feel the need to use XP to bribe people to hang out with me. There's no penalty for missing a session because I expect my players to be excited about playing simply for the fun of playing.

If they aren't, then I'll pull out Cash & Guns or something.

 

[LostSoul]

Because how would you weigh the XP? One player tracks and kills a thief, the other practises his oratory skills, the third seduces a noble and the fourth frames a guard captain for a crime. Who gets how much XP?

I do not want to weigh those actions, nor do I want to judge what is more fun for the players and "encourage" them accordingly. They know what is fun for them.

Did they achieve their goal? Major XP. Are they just working towards it? Minor XP.

Let the players decide what they get rewarded for. Then you can just step back and provide challenges for them. (This also has the benefit of having the players take a load of adventure design off your shoulders.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

Crazy idea for mature bunch of players:

At the end of the adventure, give each player a fixed amount of xp which then can award to other PCs (not their own) as a sort of MVP/most entertaining player moment.

or to bring up to par a PC who is languishing with lower hp

 

[WalterKovacs]

I prefer the idea of the group levelling together. It depends, in part, on the system. A system that rewards group tactics and group play, etc, should probably also be giving group XP and the like.

However, even in games where the group is levelling together ... do think that it's fun to actually have the XP. Even if you end up levelling every 3 or 4 sessions, knowing how much XP you got (instead of waiting to be told "you level now") just has a bit of an effect. Even though you don't actually "progress" until you cross the threshold, just seeing that you are getting closer creates a kind of feeling of going forward. When there is a while between sessions ... being able to track how "far" the character goes between each session is useful.

 

[wedgeski]

At the end of the adventure, give each player a fixed amount of xp which then can award to other PCs (not their own) as a sort of MVP/most entertaining player moment.

Did that a few times, and it worked out quite well. Put a smile on a few people's faces, but it kind of fizzled out after a couple of months.

 

[billd91]

I give out the same XP to each PC, whether at the game session or not. But I do calculate the XP based on what was accomplished during the game session.

Once you get the point of giving out the same XP to everbody, you're pretty close to just telling them to level up without using a total. I recognize that. But I like having the growing benchmark so people can start to anticipate when they will be leveling up. That said, if I want to delay them leveling up based on the RAW XP rules, I'll adjust their rewards to draw it out. I'll also pad them to speed things up a little here and there too.

 

[Reynard]

I don't feel the need to use XP to bribe people to hang out with me.

Is that really necessary? Is it adding to the conversation at all? Or is it just passive aggressive for thesake of being passive aggressive?