Who Cares About XP

[Vardaen]

So since Pathfinder no longer uses XP as a spendable resource, like 3.5 does to fuel the making of Magic Items and some Spells. I'm concidering just droping XP all together. Well that is tracking XP.

I want to make sure you all effectively level up as you go, but generally I know where you should be, and when you should level up.

How do you guys feel about just doing away with tracking the XP and just be awarded levels when the time is right?

[paradoxa]

I wouldn't mind at all. Having people get a levelup at the same time feels fair, and has some organizational advantages, so why not.

You'd just have to think of a different reward for people writing stories and stuff

[Trogdor]

That's what I've moved to in my table top D&D game and it seems to be working just fine. It lets you do it when it's dramatically appropriate and saves a lot of headache.

One thing I've been looking at in Savage Tide to allow for a slight variation in xp is to kind of keep track of it. But basically give xp on three levels based on general participation: high, medium, and low. High is for great contributors, medium for normal participation, and low for lackluster participation. I'm not sure if I'll go with that, but I have been considering it.

[Muskrat]

I'm find with dropping the XP and just having you tell us when we level. Although this way, you don't get to savor the anticipation of nearly being at the next level. Of course, you don't get the frustration of getting an XP award and finding you're only 50 points or something from hitting the next level.

[Vardaen]

What I end up doing in that case muskrat is just making up some excuse to give the player 50 more xp cause its just as nuch fun for me to have chars level as the dm. It means new more powerful foes.

I was thinking of a modified action point. It gives you something in game that is useful and not unbalancing

[Grimbold]

I agree. I have done this in my tabletop rpgs for years. And it saves a lot of bookkeeping.

[Eanwulf]

I myself have always loved the concept of a true "level-less" rules system in which player gain was nominal at best, generally in the way of minor skill enhancement and time-released abilities. Sadly, I have yet to find a system worthy enough of using. Almost all of them want you to award points in which to purchase something in one manner of the other.

I think this is why I am looking into Savage Worlds, it's basic...characters are created with long-term capabilities from the start, and you gain bonuses to actions and what not based off of glory and prestige...generally in the form of access to special abilities based off of your current glory-ranking.

[Grimbold]

I liked the system in the French Game Bloodlust. You had e.g. a skill of 40% in Brutal Attack, governed by the attribute "strength". Every time you roll a critical hit (a double, eg 11, 22, 33, ... on a D100, it is a crit if you hit, a fumble if you miss, like on 99) you immediately gain 5% in the skill. If the skill is over 50% it might be only 3% and over 75% it might be 1%. So you would still be kind of happy when you made a fumble as it gave you an increase in skill. And if enough STR based skills go up, your STR would also go up by 1. It focuses on how often you use a skill.

It is a bit like the system the Elder Scrolls games use.

[Vardaen]

So what I'm reading is that people seem fine with going no XP awards.

One thing I normally do is award bonus XP for stories and things for AoI. I also give out XP bonuses based on activity level, quality of posts, and other things that are more player dependant than character dependant.

At this point I'm going to try out the XP-less system, and try and figure out something to grant people whom I feel are doing an exceptional job. Likely 1 Time use Hero/Action points.

[MadVlat]

Interesting concept, never really tried that before. The idea of Hero points is sound, a perk for characters always a wise decision...