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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7792530" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Looking at all the posts here from DMs who either don't use xp at all or who always even it out so everyone gets the same, I have to ask what it is you're trying to reward or incentivize.</p><p></p><p>Simple player attendance? If someone shows up and plays on his phone all night, or does nothing except gabble about hockey instead of focusing on the game, why should that player get the same reward as the person who focuses on the game all night and helps drive the action? There's no incentive to drive the action - in fact there's a disincentive, as the player(s) driving the action is (are) by extension most often putting their characters at greater risk in so doing. This makes the 'optimal' path that of sitting back and riding the bus rather than helping to drive it, because you know you're going to get the same reward anyway; and how is that any good?</p><p></p><p>Simple "character attendance"? By this I mean a vague in-fiction extension of player attendance. If a character hangs in the back and does nothing of use in an encounter or even an entire adventure, why should it get the same reward as the characters who actually did what had to be done to overcome the challenge? Again, this only serves to disincentivize taking risks and getting after it, as you know you're going to get the same reward no matter what you do...which leads to the same 'optimal' path, that being to take as little risk as possible relative to the rest of the party.</p><p></p><p>Forcing everyone to be the same level? Sorry, but in a 5e (or 0e-1e-2e) environment this one holds no water at all - the system is more than flexible enough to handle some in-party level disparity, and balancing encounters to the party average is - at most - all you ever need.</p><p></p><p>So, it's individual xp all the way, and by encounter. If nobody's close to bumping I'll let 'em pile up for a few sessions before giving them out; and in any case they're only received after an overnight rest - you wake up in the morning having learned from what you did yesterday.</p><p></p><p>And a question for those who want everyone always the same level: if a PC pulls the Sun card from a Deck of Many Things and gains 50K xp on the spot, does that PC then have to retire until everyone else can catch up?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7792530, member: 29398"] Looking at all the posts here from DMs who either don't use xp at all or who always even it out so everyone gets the same, I have to ask what it is you're trying to reward or incentivize. Simple player attendance? If someone shows up and plays on his phone all night, or does nothing except gabble about hockey instead of focusing on the game, why should that player get the same reward as the person who focuses on the game all night and helps drive the action? There's no incentive to drive the action - in fact there's a disincentive, as the player(s) driving the action is (are) by extension most often putting their characters at greater risk in so doing. This makes the 'optimal' path that of sitting back and riding the bus rather than helping to drive it, because you know you're going to get the same reward anyway; and how is that any good? Simple "character attendance"? By this I mean a vague in-fiction extension of player attendance. If a character hangs in the back and does nothing of use in an encounter or even an entire adventure, why should it get the same reward as the characters who actually did what had to be done to overcome the challenge? Again, this only serves to disincentivize taking risks and getting after it, as you know you're going to get the same reward no matter what you do...which leads to the same 'optimal' path, that being to take as little risk as possible relative to the rest of the party. Forcing everyone to be the same level? Sorry, but in a 5e (or 0e-1e-2e) environment this one holds no water at all - the system is more than flexible enough to handle some in-party level disparity, and balancing encounters to the party average is - at most - all you ever need. So, it's individual xp all the way, and by encounter. If nobody's close to bumping I'll let 'em pile up for a few sessions before giving them out; and in any case they're only received after an overnight rest - you wake up in the morning having learned from what you did yesterday. And a question for those who want everyone always the same level: if a PC pulls the Sun card from a Deck of Many Things and gains 50K xp on the spot, does that PC then have to retire until everyone else can catch up? [/QUOTE]
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