XP award: I need help!

[Plane Sailing]

We just reached level 7. To me, this seems like pretty slow, and I'm starting to wonder if the DM is doing the XP awards right. I mean, it is perfectly within his rights, as DM, to do advancement however he pleases. However, he claims he has been following the DMG pretty closely. I've had discussions about this with him, and I think there is a problem. However, I want to make sure (we are keeping this very civil) so I thought I would ask others.

The point of contention is this. We have a large number of PCs (7). He claims that this is the cause of slower xp award, and from what he seems to be saying, it seems we are being penalised twice.

What actually *is* he saying? you've only asked for confirmation of your reasoning (which seems correct) so far, but it is difficult to tell what is going on without knowing exactly how he is handling it. How exactly is he putting you in double jeopardy? It is certainly true that a bigger party will gain exp more slowly than a smaller party if faced with the same number and type of enemies, after all.

Cheers,

 

[Magic Rub]

Loot?

Well, I'm a 7th level PC. I have a +1 morningstar, a +1 ring of protection, 2 first level scrolls I made myself, and perhaps a potion of healing.

But that is another story.

Ancalagon

You're not getting loot!!!!!!!
Argh!!!!!!!

That's stupid! 7th lvl over 2 years, & nothing to show for it.

Where's your DM house, so that I might fly to your city & smack him with a sharp fish!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Loot?

Well, I'm a 7th level PC. I have a +1 morningstar, a +1 ring of protection, 2 first level scrolls I made myself, and perhaps a potion of healing.

But that is another story.

Ancalagon

Is that the strongest weapon of the Party, or are there +2 Weapons for the fighter types at least? Are you a fighter or a cleric (the morning star would suggest so).

What are you up against, usually? (I ask because monsters with damage reduction could prove tricky. We had a Rakshasa the other day, and no +3 weapon. Luckily the idiot faced us in a cave where the water stood knee-high. Our druid shifted into a bear, and we drowned that bastard. But if you don't have such possibilities against a foe with too highDR and possibly SR too, or even some sort of magic immunity, you can as well run....)

 

[Lela]

Is that the strongest weapon of the Party, or are there +2 Weapons for the fighter types at least? Are you a fighter or a cleric (the morning star would suggest so).

What are you up against, usually? (I ask because monsters with damage reduction could prove tricky. We had a Rakshasa the other day, and no +3 weapon. Luckily the idiot faced us in a cave where the water stood knee-high. Our druid shifted into a bear, and we drowned that bastard.

Now, there is a good idea. Yet another use for Wild Shape, and to think, I never even used it when I played a Druid. I hope you got an XP award for creativity with that one.

Ancalagon: It's a party like your's that needs a Monk. That innate strikes as a +X would be really helpful. In the meantime, as a cleric (it seems), start praying and prepare Greater Magic Weapon. It has the added benifit of making the weapon blessed too.

 

[Gromm]

Now, there is a good idea. Yet another use for Wild Shape, and to think, I never even used it when I played a Druid. I hope you got an XP award for creativity with that one.

Ancalagon: It's a party like your's that needs a Monk. That innate strikes as a +X would be really helpful. In the meantime, as a cleric (it seems), start praying and prepare Greater Magic Weapon. It has the added benifit of making the weapon blessed too.

HA! The monk would never reach level 10 to get that ability by the sound of things.

Seems your campaign isn;t quite right. Level 7 after 2 years is slow even for 2e, much less 3e. My group seems to level every 2-3 weeks. Of course we fight a lot of things that are usually above our "level" (ie 1 fight typically in a day and uses 75% or more of our resources). Plus our sessions are longer than some others typically about 6 hours or so.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Monks can be really awe-inspiring. We have one in your Ravenloft-Party, and he has the highest armor class, despite the complete lack of armor!

Monks can look after themselves! They have decent HP (d8 is OK), nice attack bonuses (their hightest AB ain't equal to hiss class level like with fighters, but his iterative attacks are only -3 and he has more of them!), built-n AC (which can be further improved with Items/spells that give you higher wisdon or dexterity, or with stuff that gives you deflection, dodge, or natural armor bonuses, or spells like mage armor), he'll get a ton of immunities and bonuses (like poison immunity and spell resistances, improved evasion....) I'd not underestimate those boys!

But I concur: They do level-up exceptionally slow. That doesn't sound much even if you are accustomed to a stern DM with an exaggerated opinion on "the fun of 1st-level play".

 

[Lela]

HA! The monk would never reach level 10 to get that ability by the sound of things.

Seems your campaign isn;t quite right. Level 7 after 2 years is slow even for 2e, much less 3e. My group seems to level every 2-3 weeks. Of course we fight a lot of things that are usually above our "level" (ie 1 fight typically in a day and uses 75% or more of our resources). Plus our sessions are longer than some others typically about 6 hours or so.

Did you notice? This group plays for 10 hours (on average) a session.

 

[Gromm]

Did you notice? This group plays for 10 hours (on average) a session.

10 hour sessions for 2 years?!
Wow, somethings definately wrong there. Unless these 10 hour sessions involved 5 hours of screwing off, but then again our 6 hour sessions involve about 2 hours of not playing in most cases.