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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Alaxk Knight of Galt" data-source="post: 5465129" data-attributes="member: 4129">Consider, if you will, a 4th Edition where the PCs were awarded 0 XP for defeating opponents but only for the amount of gold (in the form of items and coin) they managed to gather during a session.Does the game change radically?  How valuable do skills like Diplomacy, Stealth, Intimidate become?  Invisibility?  Comprehend languages?Step back to 2nd Edition AD&D and apply these rules.  The PCs learn that a dragon has left his lair.  Its massive treasure is guarded only by its loyal Kobolds.A rogue's ability to sneak past enemies, remove traps, detect noise, and pick locks become very valuable in this world.  Perhaps more so then any combat prowess he brings to the party.  His abilities are designed to avoid combat and get the gold.  A Figther, on the other hand, brought one of his many polearms and heavy armor.  When trying to sneak past the kobolds to get to the empty dragon's lair, he's the liability.  Perhaps the wizard needs to create a distraction to allow the fighter to sneak by.  Why was the fighter even brought?  As a last resort.  If the rogue triggers an alarm or alerts a patrol, if the Dragon returns while the treasure is being hauled out, or if a random angry owlbear stumbles upon the party, the Fighter is called upon to use force of (pole)arms to save the party.  The Fighter is the first guy in and the last guy out.In the world of gold equals XP, combat is dangerous.  The positive outcome of the fight is not XP and advancement, it's survival.  Death, defeat, retreat are all possible outcomes of the fight.  Regardless of the number of Kobolds killed, if the party doesn't get the dragon's treasure, they aren't getting the XP.  On the other hand, the same senario plays out totally differently if you give out XP for killing Kobolds instead of recovering treasure.  Why sneak past the Kobolds?  Kicking down the door and slaughtering them is the best approach.  In fact, the game must be totally different if designed around this.  The rogue's ability to avoid detection is not nearly as valuabe as the Fighter's ability to kick ass.  The Fighter's multiple attacks, weapon specialization, and higher hit points make him infinitly more valuable then the rogue's backstab and sneaking.  The rogue, as a class, has a lot of ground to make up to become as useful to the party as the fighter is.Why you award XP is important.  It radically shapes the way the game is designed and played.</blockquote>

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