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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 5905777" data-attributes="member: 25619">XP, Training, and Leveling UpDitto.  Using 3.5 xp rules as my basis, I give:-- Full RAW XP for fully defeating monsters (killing them or capturing them)-- Reduced-from-RAW XP for partially defeating monsters (driving them away in a semi-permanent way) or making the monsters a much reduced threat (parlaying with them and making a deal to reduce the harm to the folks the PC's are working for).  I talked to Gygax here about this, and he recommended it.  It works quite well for my campaigns, in getting the PC's to have more complex interactions with the "monsters".-- Full RAW XP for dealing with the challenge of a trap, either by defusing it or setting it off.  (You learn either way.)-- Roleplaying XP, typically 150 xp, sometimes higher, for using a Skill or Feat or roleplaying to advance the story in a significant way, while in character.  For email game, which is Role Playing heavy, this can be important.-- For my live game, bonus for actually attending.  Typically 100 xp.  All the characters get played each time (no dropping in and out of the story due to player attendance/non-attendance), but your character gets automatic XP for you showing up.I do have widely different levels within my parties (2-4th in the live party, 4-8th in the email party), and the XP rules in 3.5e deal with that quite well, ramping up the junior people faster, to what feels like the "right" degree.  For example, in the live party, 3 of them started together and are now 4th level.  Another guy started at 1st when they were were 2nd, and is now 4th, tied with the "founders".  The most recent started at 1st when they were 3rd, and will level up to 3rd next time we play, IIRC.Also, I don't total up XP for each session.  I total up whenever an adventure is completed and the PC's are on downtime.I don't allow people to "pong" into the new level mid-adventure (or mid-combat) just because they've achieved the requisite XP, so I don't need to tally XP continuously.They need to take time off to train and level up, usually a week or two of game time, which allows the characters to do other downtime stuff (make potions,shop,  role-play, if they want) or can just be hand waved if everyone is just intent on leveling up.I have training costs, but not for going to 5th level or higher (like Conan the Barbarian after he studied in the East, they no longer need formal training but learn on the job from that point on), and often they have a sponsor (government or church) who picks up the cost anyhow -- so typically, training for 2nd level is the only one the PC's are out-of-pocket for.I have had people who want to keep playing but don't want to level up.  I'm not sure if it's primarily an issue of wanting to stay in the sweetspot, not wanting to decide what to do next, or just don't want to deal with the busywork of it.  It's not a huge deal if people drag their feet, as our parties are usually "level heterogenous" already.Other players, of course, are eager beavers who live to level up.  Most are happy to do it, but also seem happy to wait for the end of the adventure.  <shrug>Perhaps it helps that my groups are "homemade".  All of my players were folks who were not playing D&D when I came along and recruited them (many used to play AD&D a decade or more before I reminded them how fun it is), so I don't deal with a lot of rules lawyering or complaining about how I run the game compared to others -- though two of them now DM their own 3.5e campaigns too, and do offer constructive criticism from time to time.</blockquote>

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