D&D General What Have You Awarded XP For?

[CleverNickName]

There's some discussion in another thread about experience points, and how the rules framework seems to incentivize certain styles of play. Specifically combat: the rules assume that combat is the primary, if not the only, way that players can earn Experience Points for their characters. There are other rules in the DMG that give the DM freedom to award experience points whenever they choose, or to not award them at all, but those rules are largely overlooked in these discussions.

Reading through that thread, it made me wonder: how many DMs out there award experience points at all? and what do they award them for? So I put together a quick little poll for everyone's enjoyment. Check all that apply.

 

[overgeeked]

Any seeming contradiction in my votes is a result of marking all that have ever applied.

 

[CleverNickName]

When I'm in the DM chair, I award XP for defeating challenges...that's anything with a Challenge Rating (monsters, traps, NPCs, whatever.) I don't care if the monsters are slain or captured, or if the trap is bypassed instead of disarmed...if the party came out on top, they get the XP.

I also award "bonus XP" for good roleplaying, for executing a carefully-planned scheme, for showing mercy when the defeated villain surrenders, and so forth. Whenever most 5E Dungeon Masters would award Inspiration, I award bonus XP instead.

 

[Ovinomancer]

There's some discussion in another thread about experience points, and how the rules framework seems to incentivize certain styles of play. Specifically combat: the rules assume that combat is the primary, if not the only, way that players can earn Experience Points for their characters. There are other rules in the DMG that give the DM freedom to award experience points whenever they choose, or to not award them at all, but those rules are largely overlooked in these discussions.

They aren't overlooked, they get mentioned quite a lot, actually. But they're optional, and up to GM fiat, so when we look at how 5e works from the point of view of the rules, there's a clear and direct statement that you get xp from combat, and lots of rules providing how you build and balance combat encounters. And then there's an add on that gives an option under GM fiat for earning XP other ways. It's not hard to tell which version the rules think should be active at all tables. And that's what gets pointed out -- the rules say combat xp is always on, and other xp is at the discretion of the GM.

I can't say what happens at your table. Your GM may use this discretion quite a lot. But when I look at the published adventures, and at most of the things made on DM Guild, it's combat up front as the primary XP breadwinner.

Reading through that thread, it made me wonder: how many DMs out there award experience points at all? and what do they award them for? So I put together a quick little poll for everyone's enjoyment. Check all that apply.

Might be more useful to have phrased the question in terms of % of total XP handed out. IE, do you hand out 50% XP from non-combat stuff? Because I've handed out XP for a lot of things on that list, but combat XP was always the lion's share.

 

[TheDelphian]

You have for exceptional roleplaying but I give it out for RP in general. Usually when they get to a new town and make connections or enemies they get some. When exploring new things etc as well. Now I admit is less than what they get to for dungeons, fighting and other things but it is still significant. Once established in a place they seldom get more as they are not "learning" new things but on occasion like a large formal dinner or meeting I give them some.

As for Milestone leveling while I like the idea my campaigns seldom have clear ends and beginnings in the plot each thread weaves into the next, by far not flawlessly or smooth but seldom is their like a real end point of chapter separation for me.

Plus I think my players like getting Xp the old fashion way killing crap. or at least defeating/bypassing crap which they know they get the same amount. Hell even losing gets them something. You learn a good deal after a butt whopping.


As for treasure it should be its own reward

Traps are encounters since they often expend resources and advance the adventure.

I seldom use riddles or puzzles but if I did I would use the same logic as traps.

Laterz

 

[Ovinomancer]

When I'm in the DM chair, I award XP for defeating challenges...that's anything with a Challenge Rating (monsters, traps, NPCs, whatever.) I don't care if the monsters are slain or captured, or if the trap is bypassed instead of disarmed...if the party came out on top, they get the XP.

I also award "bonus XP" for good roleplaying, for executing a carefully-planned scheme, for showing mercy when the defeated villain surrenders, whatever. Whenever most 5E Dungeon Masters would award Inspiration, I award bonus XP instead.

Perfectly good way to do it, and I used to do the XP for RP thing, but... I really always felt bad about judging player performances. Didn't really like it for Inspiration, either. Totally a me thing, this. So, I completely stopped. Now, if I'm going to offer it, it's claimed by the players themselves. If they think they did a good job roleplaying, they can take the bonus.

 

[Asisreo]

Really, it depends on the overall theme of the campaign. If I want a dungeon-crawl experience (as I often do), it would be for killing monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and finding treasures as those are the behaviors I want to encourage. I also give XP for ending an encounter that was originally hostile or for avoiding encounters, so clever play is still rewarded.

 

[el-remmen]

Currently, I am only awarding XP for defeating monsters (whatever form that takes) and overcoming challenges, but also for any well-played scene that moves the meta-plot along. Finally, I also award a "quest completion" bonus from 0 to 20% of the total based on how well the PCs accomplish their adventure goals. I rate this (as a group) from 1 to 4 and each increment is a 5% bonus.

In the past I have granted bonuses for people doing things like bringing snacks or "good role-playing," but I have moved away from that. Everyone brings snacks and everyone "role-plays" to the degree they are comfortable and those are their own rewards.

 

[iserith]

I always tweak XP to incentivize the sort of play the adventure or campaign is meant to be about. For the typical game without a storyline (my preference), that's going to be XP for combat/social and treasure for exploration. If there's a storyline, then it'll be milestone XP for quests related to the plot (not to be confused with story-based XP).

Then sometimes I'll play around with what you need to do to get XP. In my current swamp hexcrawl, for example, XP is earned by paying trainers 1 gp : 1 XP to level up. So the focus there is just acquiring treasure by whatever means the players see fit. In another game I ran where the PCs were pirates, you only got XP if you buried treasure somewhere and drew a map to it.

Players tend to do what they are incentivized to do. To the extent the DM can align that with the theme of the campaign, it keeps everyone moving in the same direction and makes for a great game in my experience.

 

[Blue]

Other things I've awarded XP for:

• Flat rate per session based on challenge (West Marches style campaign)
• Overcoming a barrier to progress via whatever means. Not just killing or capturing a foe, but talking your way past them, sneaking past, tricking your way past, using resources to avoid the combat in other ways (passwall, etc.), bribing them, or even picking a more challenging route that avoided known foes. "Let's not go through the front!"
• Completing character-specific goals.

I've also done Milestone XP instead of Milestone leveling, for groups that wanted a more granular view of their advancement.