D&D General What do you prefer to give/get XP for?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm not trying to fight with you.

I think we're actually agreeing that it should be clear to players what they can do to level up.

 

[el-remmen]

I am one of those weirdos who actually gets a thrill from filling out an excel sheet with XP awards and doing the math while recapping session events. So I personally never understood that complaint as to me none of the math to figure it out seems hard to me. In fact, before the days of access to a spreadsheet, I did it using an accountant notebook and still loved it.

As for what I give XP for, defeating monsters mostly (whatever form “defeat might take,” like killing, routing, forcing surrender, tricking, befriending, etc), but I also give XP for attendance 10 xp/level/session up to level 5 and then 25/level/session after that. I give XP for achieving specific goals in an adventure, and a bonus based on a percentage of total XP determined by how well the PCs completed the adventure (ranging from 5% to 30%). Everyone gets an equal share of XP as long as their character is present.

Lastly, I only award XP at the end of each adventure or module, so that can be every 4 to 6 sessions or more. Heck, one of my current groups has not advanced a level (they are currently 5th) since October 2022 and I have not awarded XP since July 2023.

 

[Lanefan]

Are those standards player-facing? If so, I am okay with that. IME, however, most milestone leveling is NOT player-facing or established upfront by the GM.

I can't see to whom or what you're replying here, but in fairness there's certainly times when milestone or milestone-like levelling isn't set up-front by the GM; instead it's written right in to the module or AP and the GM is simply following orders.

From the players' side it looks the same, of course; all I'm saying is that it's not always purely done at the GM's whim.

Otherwise, I largely agree with your take on this.

 

[Voadam]

I can't see to whom or what you're replying here, but in fairness there's certainly times when milestone or milestone-like levelling isn't set up-front by the GM; instead it's written right in to the module or AP and the GM is simply following orders.

From the players' side it looks the same, of course; all I'm saying is that it's not always purely done at the GM's whim.

Otherwise, I largely agree with your take on this.

Paizo AP's do this with a guide up front saying at which point the party is expected to be level x before hitting Y part of the individual module with three or four level up points happening in each module. They usually do a good job of matching them to significant story beats that feel right for milestone levelling.

There is also the common milestone version of "How many sessions feel right for levelling? Every four? OK we'll do that and see if it feels right."

 

[payn]

Paizo AP's do this with a guide up front saying at which point the party is expected to be level x before hitting Y part of the individual module with three or four level up points happening in each module. They usually do a good job of matching them to significant story beats that feel right for milestone levelling.

There is also the common milestone version of "How many sessions feel right for levelling? Every four? OK we'll do that and see if it feels right."

Pathfinder Society used 3-4 hour session adventure and after completing three of them you level.

 

[el-remmen]

While we are talking player facing XP awards, despite having made this info available to players in the past, almost none of my players (and absolutely none in my two current games, a total of 8 people with one overlap) have ever inquired or seemed to care about how XP is awarded.

I know when I am a player, I care.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Paizo AP's do this with a guide up front saying at which point the party is expected to be level x before hitting Y part of the individual module with three or four level up points happening in each module. They usually do a good job of matching them to significant story beats that feel right for milestone levelling.

In contrast, one of my issues with Kobold Press' Empire of the Ghouls is that it's using milestone leveling and having people sometimes level mid-dungeon, but without there being any obvious rhyme or reason to it -- or, annoyingly, even bold-facing it for the DM to see while glancing through. (The characters in my run-through missed their first level up, which explains why the first set of tombs they visited were so bruising.)

 

[payn]

In contrast, one of my issues with Kobold Press' Empire of the Ghouls is that it's using milestone leveling and having people sometimes level mid-dungeon, but without there being any obvious rhyme or reason to it -- or, annoyingly, even bold-facing it for the DM to see while glancing through. (The characters in my run-through missed their first level up, which explains why the first set of tombs they visited were so bruising.)

Oh, yeah, thats not good. One of the benefits of milestone is avoiding the mid-dungeon/session level up.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Oh, yeah, thats not good. One of the benefits of milestone is avoiding the mid-dungeon/session level up.

If they had a break-out early on saying that "before each dungeon or mini-dungeon, we will tell you what level your characters should be at that point; level them up if necessary," that would have been ideal.

Spotting that everyone should have been level two halfway through a giant paragraph is insane. I don't like to mark up my RPG books -- I tend to sell them after use -- but I am probably going to whip out the highlighter and find all the leveling references in the book.

 

[Reynard]

If they had a break-out early on saying that "before each dungeon or mini-dungeon, we will tell you what level your characters should be at that point; level them up if necessary," that would have been ideal.

Spotting that everyone should have been level two halfway through a giant paragraph is insane. I don't like to mark up my RPG books -- I tend to sell them after use -- but I am probably going to whip out the highlighter and find all the leveling references in the book.

More evidence that the biggest issue with most modern adventures is not their structure or their stories or any of that. it is their presentation.

No More Walls Of Text.