Awarding XP

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cbarchuk
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Awarding XP

Post by cbarchuk »

What is the standard way for awarding xp? During the adventure as its accumulated, after a session is over, or when the entire adventure is concluded? The reason I ask is I have player who is only a few points from leveling and we just started the Chaotic Caves module. The party just finished a short quest that gave the player enough to level. I generally wait till after the adventure is completed before awarding xp. But he's wondering if he can level up right now. How do you guys out there in Basic Fantasy land typically do it?
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MinkyBoodle
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Re: Awarding XP

Post by MinkyBoodle »

I have awarded experience both as it happens and after the adventure. It kinda depends on what sort of rules you are using for leveling up. Does the character need to train at a guild hall or with a superior in their class in order to acquire new skills (i.e. improvements from leveling)? Or do you just assume they are getting better and studying new skills/spells as they journey?

Also keep in mind that The Chaotic Caves is a good place to explore and retreat so that parties can live to explore again, so you might just say that leveling up can wait until getting back to somewhere safe, if for no other reason than to encourage the "explore, retreat, repeat" method.

But that's just my two coppers on the subject. I'm sure there are plenty of wiser sages to weigh in.
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Metroknight
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Re: Awarding XP

Post by Metroknight »

I do awarding xp at the end of the session but leveling is done between adventures during what is considered downtime. This lets them spend their gold on their training and buy or have better equipment crafted for them. Magic-users get to spend time doing their studies for spells, clerics do their thing, thieves do guild work, etc...
Last edited by Metroknight on Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Awarding XP

Post by Solomoriah »

Metroknight's approach is the way it's "supposed" to work. The GM can do as he or she pleases, of course.
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Dimirag
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Re: Awarding XP

Post by Dimirag »

I award XP as soon as earn, after an encounter, at the of the session or when the characters reach a safe place, depending on my mood about keeping numbers hehe

Characters can level up once they are on a safe place.
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vitae_drinker
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Awarding XP for exploration

Post by vitae_drinker »

I've been running a game using a mash-up of Rappan Athuk (specifically the area around Zelkor's Ferry) and JN1 The Chaotic Caves with some home-brew stuff thrown in there for good measure. One of the issue's I've been having is after having run Castle Calaelen is that at low level the modules are pretty much a meat grinder. Even trying to avoid contact with monsters and traps there comes a point where battle has to be joined to earn XP and clear out the area (Castle Calaelen).

Instead of using the Gold = XP option, I've started giving the party 100 xp for exploring a new hex, and 50 xp per room in a dungeon, on top of the monster XP.

Does seem balanced? Probably not, at least for long term, is my thought.

Should I step over to the Gold = XP option?
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teaman
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Re: Awarding XP for exploration

Post by teaman »

Another option is leveling up after a certain number of sessions. That's what we do and it works fine. It is a variable scale, because it is supposed to take Magic-users longer to level than say Thieves. It's a little faster for humans than demi-humans.

I don't know the math behind it intimately as one of my players kindly did that leg-work years ago. (Thanks Rustan!)
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Solomoriah
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Re: Awarding XP for exploration

Post by Solomoriah »

vitae_drinker wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:12 pmInstead of using the Gold = XP option, I've started giving the party 100 xp for exploring a new hex, and 50 xp per room in a dungeon, on top of the monster XP.
Not bad. This gives a nice low-level bonus while not affecting higher level groups much, since the award does not scale to the character level.
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vitae_drinker
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Re: Awarding XP for exploration

Post by vitae_drinker »

Solomoriah wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:08 am
vitae_drinker wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:12 pmInstead of using the Gold = XP option, I've started giving the party 100 xp for exploring a new hex, and 50 xp per room in a dungeon, on top of the monster XP.
Not bad. This gives a nice low-level bonus while not affecting higher level groups much, since the award does not scale to the character level.
For longer term play, does it make sense to switch over to gold=xp, or after a couple of levels are characters survivable enough to go after the monsters directly?
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Tazer_The_Yoot
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Re: Awarding XP

Post by Tazer_The_Yoot »

In my current campaign, in which things are kind of "dumbed down" on purpose for thematic and practical purposes, there's actually a patron Ancient Dragon the Adventurers give gold and treasure to as tribute, and in its benevolence (?) it grants them "life energy" (xp) in exchange. But only as long as they serve and obey it. [Yes, this is a shameless and rather transparent gold sink mechanic but they dig the story so...]

But yes, what Metro Knight said is the old school methodology and you'll see it being used by a lot of people from back in the day. I've played in campaigns like this and enjoy the thematic way this changes the game up, as well.
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