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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Alaxk Knight of Galt" data-source="post: 4698272" data-attributes="member: 4129">This is an interesting point of view.  In 2E and earlier, the idea that characters leveled at the same time didn't exist.  XP charts existed for each class, a cleric needed 1,500 XP to level to 2nd level while a wizard needed 2,500 XP.  Heck, in darksun, this was used to indicate how much easier a defiler's power grew in relation to a preserver (Defiler on the Rogue XP chart while the Preserver was on the Wizard's XP chart).It is interesting to look at the character generation in older editions versus 4E and how this relates to XP awards.  Pre-3rd<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Random 3d6 Attribute Generation</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Random Hit Point Generation (grats on your 1hp fighter)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Different XP rates</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Different THAC0 rates</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Death at 0 Hit Points</li> </ul>4E<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Point Buy Attribute Generation</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Set Hit Points per Level</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Common XP table</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Common Base Attack based on level</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Death comes after 3 failed saves or -1/2 hit points</li> </ul>It is clear that in 4E balance is king.  This becomes the basic social contract for the game.  Anything that breaks this balance, including awarding XP at different rates, breaks the social contract of the game and can be considered un-justified.Pre-3E, the game world is king.  A person is a random collection of DNA bits, life experience, and luck.  3d6 for stats and random hit points reflect that in the game world.  Two first level characters can be wildly different in total stat bonuses and hit points.  It wasn't unfair, it was just the randomness of the game world.  Heck, the 2E DMG suggested bonus XP depended upon type and having high stats (+10% bonus for a str of 16+ if you were a fighter, etc).  Having your character eaten by giant frogs and rolling up a new 1st character was part of the fun of the game.The implied social contract of 4E is radically different from the implied social contract of 1E and 2E.  This acceptance of the social contract influences how you think XP should be given out.</blockquote>

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