How do you like receiving experience points?

jrients · February 21, 2007, 05:03:16 PM

The DM of my Wednesday night game hands out XP at the end of each encounter. Sometimes a poor schmuck who has been nearly killed suddenly finds himself much better due to a sudden infusion of newly minted hit points.

Spike · February 21, 2007, 10:14:36 PM

Quote from: jrientsThe DM of my Wednesday night game hands out XP at the end of each encounter. Sometimes a poor schmuck who has been nearly killed suddenly finds himself much better due to a sudden infusion of newly minted hit points.

I've played that way on both sides of the table. Works fine. Sort of like a video game that way.

I generally don't do it now, because I feel I have a finer control over how fast people level if I just hand out what I think they actually earned. If they breezed through everything but didn't work for it, they get crap. If it was a hard fought session with minimal combat I give more. It's touchy-feely crap from one perspective, and hard assitude from another.
:what:

J Arcane · February 22, 2007, 07:45:25 AM

Quote from: jrientsThe DM of my Wednesday night game hands out XP at the end of each encounter. Sometimes a poor schmuck who has been nearly killed suddenly finds himself much better due to a sudden infusion of newly minted hit points.

I like this idea. I've been pondering a next project inspired by the Dragon Quest series, and I think it'd be a lot of fun to make a game system that was simple enough that you could even handle levelling up in-game.

So after you kill those slimes, you get your cookies right away, instead of as an afterthought once the game ends. To me, I think this would serve as awesome player incentive.

warren · February 26, 2007, 06:07:21 AM

Quote from: RedFox
Quote from: Elliot WilenI guess it matters more to me how the XP are earned. And I do like them to be earned, or more precisely, connected in some way to the actual events of the game and the individual contributions/activities of each character. Keep that linkage and I'm fine.

Same here.

xp gives a nice little "accomplishment" feeling, if it's earned. If it's just flat-rate or arbitrary (Good roleplaying! Dipshit charlie just showed up. Har!) I'm less enthused about it.

Quote from: SettembriniI dole out and like to receive XPs immedeately after the task/combat/problem solved.

That set of quotes sums up my way of thinking about it.

balzacq · March 01, 2007, 02:12:08 PM

What, no choice for "in whacking great job lots, please"?

Seriously, I prefer to give out one or two (GURPS) xp every few sessions (since my sessions are pretty short), with a bunch more at -- well, I won't call it "the end of the adventure", but it's whenever the PCs have accomplished something major or gone through an extended stressful situation and now have a chance to catch their breath and stand down for a bit.

If they managed to screw up on whatever they were trying to do, they'll get significantly less than if they succeeded. And by "screw up" I don't just mean "fail", but rather "fail through making lots of bad choices and inappropriate actions".

Reimdall · March 02, 2007, 10:42:13 AM

Quote from: balzacqSeriously, I prefer to give out one or two (GURPS) xp every few sessions (since my sessions are pretty short), with a bunch more at -- well, I won't call it "the end of the adventure", but it's whenever the PCs have accomplished something major or gone through an extended stressful situation and now have a chance to catch their breath and stand down for a bit.

If they managed to screw up on whatever they were trying to do, they'll get significantly less than if they succeeded. And by "screw up" I don't just mean "fail", but rather "fail through making lots of bad choices and inappropriate actions".

Ding. Give the man in the tiara a prize.

Werekoala · March 08, 2007, 01:08:35 PM

Currently playing in a 3.5 campaign where the DM awards a level at the end of each mission/quest, rather than a running XP total. Makes it easier on him with nothing to track, and promotes the "power gaming" feel I think he was shooting for. Also inspires the PCs to concentrate on the task at hand rather than going off on tangents, which is always nice.

James McMurray · March 11, 2007, 12:22:50 PM

End of a session. You're less likely to lose any due to forgetfulness on the GM's part, and it gives a better view of how fast progression is.