You know what? I think I'm done with XP

[jester47]

Hey Rel is your email correct? I would really like to use your XP system and I contacted you about it. (just hope you are not out of town or somthing) If you cuold get back to tme that would be great, thanks.


Aaron.

 

[jester47]

Double post.

 

[Rel]

I got your e-mail, Jester. I'll send a reply shortly. I don't really check my e-mail much over the weekend because my internet connection at the house blows.

 

[Voneth]

The Wheel of Time, Omega World and Farscape XP systems are variations of the 1st ed. d20 Star Wars system. If you add or subtract percentages to the suggested amounts, you can tweak it to taste, though some players I have still possess a fetish for getting "credit" for every combat they win.

AEG's Spycraft system also had a decent chart for Ad Hoc rewards that focuses on "XX" x character level for accomplishing objectives. Spycraft also has a great system called "Backgrounds" where a player can trade off skill points for a subplot. When the subplot comes into play, the PC gets XP. If the GM ignores the subplot for 3 sessions, the PC cashes out with a XP bonus.

Boy was I wrong! I guess it's just one of those sacred cows that's hard to make sacred burgers from. One of my players response was, "Well, it just sounds lazy to me." And I said, "Well, yeah." As if DMs don't have enough to do without having to calculate XP all the time.

Funny how those who don't have to do the work like to judge how easy it must be. I told a fellow who said the same thing "And when are you going to start running a game?" His answer was "Oh, I don't run games."


That comment almost ranked up there with the best one I heard yet.
"Well, that can't be right. My old GM never used such a rule."
"It's right there in the book."
"It can't be right, 'he' never used that rule."
"Your GM made up a house rule, look it up and you will see it."
"Oh, I never read the rulebooks, that's for the DM to do."

It turns out the player never /bought/ a rulebook either.

 

[ashockney]

In the beginning of 3rd Ed, I used the DMG CR/XP table to calculate exactly what would be necessary to obtain a level. Once we played long enough, I got a "feel" for the pattern, and it comes very naturally now, without calculation.

I don't use XP penalties or permenant level drains. I never have. Anytime I've used an XP system it was for reward purposes only.

How do I deal with the Item Creation Feats, Spells, and monster abilities?

1) Monsters - I like the new "negative level" approach in the DMG. Very scary, but not permanent.

2) Spells - take away other resources, typically money. If a spell is really powerful for some reason, then I might add a temporary CON drain to it.

3) Item Creation Feats - the money resource (and time in game) is typically more than enough to ensure I don't have a "horde of +1 longswords" suddenly floating around in the game.

 

[Voadam]

I didn't like that it is as easy to go up 1 level at 1st as it is to go up 1 level at 10 or 20 (based on challenge compared to your power). So I ditched the advance every 13 encounters for using the xp level charts straight and granting flat xp rewards. 1000xp for a succesful adventure night, 750 for in progress, and 500 for failure. I adapted this xp system from one that was used in an old pre 3e campaign I played in that used the old arduin xp charts.

This means that it is easy to advance at early character levels but slows down at higher levels and is really easy to compute and award each night.

This also means that it is more expensive to create bigger magic items or xp spells because you don't get huge xp awards at higher levels, but that doesn't bug me that much.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Since I do not kill off PCs without consent from the player, that about covers it.

What about the thrill of putting one's life on the line? My players would rapidly realize there is no true danger in battle and begin to act accordingly.

 

[Anabstercorian]

My own DMing style is very much heavy on calculations (If you want experience for something nonstandard, SAY so and I'll toss a CR on it) but I see the advantages in other styles. That said, let me play devils advocate:

First off, some players would be VERY bummed if you stopped keeping track of experience. I, for one, would feel like my in-character accomplishments were being cheapened. Why be heroic when I'd advance at the same rate from being craven and cowardly? Of course, some would say, Why be a ravening homocidal lunatic when you can be a sensible human being? To which I say, RAGH! AXE TO YOUR FACE!

Second, Flexor, maybe the DM knows that his players will react that way and WANTS it. Maybe he wants players who will throw themselves headlong in to obscenely dangerous situations with the feral tenacity of wildcats, confident in their absolute plot immunity to death!

 

[Umbran]

What about the thrill of putting one's life on the line? My players would rapidly realize there is no true danger in battle and begin to act accordingly.

Different people have different opinions. Some like apples, and some like onions. Not everyone wants that particular thrill. If your players want it, cool. If his don't, also cool.

/me trying to stop an age-old argument before it starts.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Well, if you do the math, that's once every 20 hours. A little less as a 10%-20% bonus (for player ingenuity, roleplaying, or a difficult session) is fairly common, and when completing a major campaign goal I'll grant a 50% bonus. Our sessions are 4-5 hours and they end up levelling every 3 or 4 sessions. My 1 1/2 year old campaign is at 17th level, though admittedly I didn't start using that session until part way through or so.

How long has the game been going in campaign time? How old are the PC's?