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3/21/2020 11:44 am  #1


XP for places and new things

I have been inspired to apply Jeff Reints ideas on experience to ASSH; but also considered experience for first time events that a new adventurer would face; each of the following would be a solo bonus award for each qualifying player character (I term Xperience!).  I post for interest. 

Xperience!
Participate in a (non lethal) bar room brawl 250 XP
witness the birth of your first child 250 XP
Spend your treasures in Drunken Debauchery (first recovered treasures) 250 XP
Suffer an ordeal of sorcery (on the first Sorcery saving throw) 250 XP
Survive your first deadly combat 500 XP
Discover an item of renown (wielding their first known magic item) 500 XP
Save a boon companion from certain death (staunch or heal wounds of a companion at -4 to -9 hp) 750 XP
Witness the undead rise! 750 XP
Vanquish a sworn enemy (must be a renowned rival that has inflicted personal injury to the PC) 1000 XP
Fight in a great battle 1000 XP
Observe the obscene rituals of an Otherworldly or Daemonic secret cult 1250
Survive an encounter with “Otherworldly entities” or Daemons 1250 XP
See the ‘other side’ (being raised from the dead) 1500 XP 

Xploration!
Survive a night and a day amidst the spires and streets of Khromarium 500 XP
Cross the Lug Wastes 50 XP (100 XP if you became lost)
Recover a mammoth tusk from the tar pits of the Lug Wates 100 XP
Sail the breadth of Brigands Bay 250 XP
Cross the Fields of Vol (as guests of a Kimmeri-Kelt tribe) 100 XP (200 XP)
Spend the night in the edge of the Trogos Forest 50 XP
Find gold in the streams at the heart of Trogos Forest 250 XP (100 XP thereafter)
Cross the River Vol 50 XP
See the sun rise on the city of Kor 250 XP
Recover a glyphed tile from the central plaza of Kor 1000 XP 
Cross the ice-bridge to the Islands of the Ape Men 1250 XP
Visit the Grand Temple of Artemis in Pandoros 500 XP (x3 if a man, x4 if clergy of Artemis)
On first visiting a named city, town or village 150 XP
On first visiting an unnamed settlement 50 XP (other geographic undertakings...Variable)
Visit a Great Obelisk 6000 XP (20000 XP bonus if visiting all six)
Scale Mount Vhuurmithadon 10000 XP

 

3/21/2020 5:35 pm  #2


Re: XP for places and new things

Great ideas! But I am not that generous at all. I think I would cut all these XP amounts in half and then make each one shared XP for the whole group, not awarded to each PC. Of course, YMMV.


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 

3/22/2020 7:37 pm  #3


Re: XP for places and new things

Ghul wrote:

Great ideas! But I am not that generous at all. I think I would cut all these XP amounts in half and then make each one shared XP for the whole group, not awarded to each PC. Of course, YMMV.

Except witnessing the birth of one’s first child.  That has got to be worth a ton of XP! (That, and all that follows...!) 

 

3/23/2020 12:27 am  #4


Re: XP for places and new things

I give bonus xp for some things and for good role-playing, but the amount varies.  It's usually not more than a couple hundred, though PCs also get xp for surviving critical hits, since we use a pretty lethal crit system. 

Incidentally, the old MERP game had a wide variety of XP provisions that included higher XP the first time you did something.  And the XP you got in combat varied by the foe's level compared to yours.  If you were lower level, you got more XP and vice versa.  They also gave xp for travel, scaled to the danger of the region you were in.  And of course for delivering or sustaining criticals.  Man, that was a lot of book-keeping.  And after two years of play, the PCs were still only 5th level or so.  And most were maimed due to crits.  The party had a one-handed scout, a one legged bard, and a one-eyed mage.  And they lost so many hobbits that they were banned from the Shire.  But man was it fun.  But I digress....


"Could you fancy me as a pirate bold?  Or a longship Viking warrior with the old gods on his side?  Well, I'm an inshore man and I'm nobody's hero.  But I'll make you tight for a windy night and a dark ride."--Jethro Tull
 

3/23/2020 6:59 am  #5


Re: XP for places and new things

XP for distance travelled was a thing in "Rolemaster". We got a lot of XP that way.

 

3/23/2020 9:19 am  #6


Re: XP for places and new things

Ghul wrote:

Great ideas! But I am not that generous at all. I think I would cut all these XP amounts in half and then make each one shared XP for the whole group, not awarded to each PC. Of course, YMMV.

I can Attest, Ghul is a Stingy Bastard 


-- 
BlackKnight, AKA Sausage
Older than Dirt, Crusty, and set in my ways. Been playing TTRPGs for over 45 years...
 

3/23/2020 3:16 pm  #7


Re: XP for places and new things

After an attempt to read a strange necromancer spell book went horribly sideways, three characters in my game gave birth to seeming clones of themselves through their mouths. The two who thought to eat the mouth babies gained a point in a random stat. The one who didn't is now aging one year every day -- as is her mouth baby. A few XP really seems like gilding the lily here.

I would not grant XP for any of that list. It's a list of stuff that happens to you on your way to get XP, i.e.: game play.
 

 

3/25/2020 8:42 am  #8


Re: XP for places and new things

I remember the old Rolemaster stuff; I played MERP a lot and travel felt like a trial worth XP.

I have yet to test these ideas, but last time I ran an OSR campaign (using ACKS) the players struggled with the rate of advancement and the fragility of their 1st level characters.  I wanted something that, in the very early stages of play, would give a sense of achievement without radically changing the Gold = XP dynamic.  The Xperience! awards are very much one off, to ease players into an OSR dynamic.  I did not want to just award levels every X number of sessions, I hate that for OSR as the experience system is an integral part of the play experience.  Of course, once players are hooked, the DM gloves come off 

     Thread Starter
 

3/25/2020 9:02 am  #9


Re: XP for places and new things

Getting through the first couple levels is harrowing in any OSR game.  The main thing I did was incorporate Hackmaster 4th edition's practice of giving all 1st level PCs a 20 HP "kicker" at character creation.  They still roll as normal so if you roll a 1 and have no bonuses, you're at 21 HP.  By the mid-levels assuming you're rolling legit, it all evens out for the most part, the exception sometimes being mage types.  But our lethal crit system still means the body count can get up there.


 


"Could you fancy me as a pirate bold?  Or a longship Viking warrior with the old gods on his side?  Well, I'm an inshore man and I'm nobody's hero.  But I'll make you tight for a windy night and a dark ride."--Jethro Tull
 

3/25/2020 11:26 am  #10


Re: XP for places and new things

Antalon wrote:

I remember the old Rolemaster stuff; I played MERP a lot and travel felt like a trial worth XP.

I have yet to test these ideas, but last time I ran an OSR campaign (using ACKS) the players struggled with the rate of advancement and the fragility of their 1st level characters.  I wanted something that, in the very early stages of play, would give a sense of achievement without radically changing the Gold = XP dynamic.  The Xperience! awards are very much one off, to ease players into an OSR dynamic.  I did not want to just award levels every X number of sessions, I hate that for OSR as the experience system is an integral part of the play experience.  Of course, once players are hooked, the DM gloves come off 

Well, I certainly don't keep track of the OSR and what other games are doing within that sphere of influence (in fact I don't think the term "OSR" even existed when I started writing this game in 2008, but "retro-clone" was a buzz word). I do believe that we offer a decent variety of ways for players to earn XP beyond killing monsters and gaining treasure. See page 266 in the rulebook for some of our other options.

I do agree that simply awarding levels after so many sessions of play defeats the purpose of the XP progression rates that each character class has. To wit, a thief gains level 3 when a warlock gains level 2. But, of course, at the end of the day making the game fun for you and your participants is the most important thing, so do what thou wilt!



 


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 

3/25/2020 12:09 pm  #11


Re: XP for places and new things

Ghul wrote:

I do agree that simply awarding levels after so many sessions of play defeats the purpose of the XP progression rates that each character class has. To wit, a thief gains level 3 when a warlock gains level 2. But, of course, at the end of the day making the game fun for you and your participants is the most important thing, so do what thou wilt!

I started my AS&SH game with 1st-level characters, max HP, and kept scrupulous track of XP. XP tracking was no fun for me, so my indolence led me to simply keep the Thief one level ahead of the others: not perfect, but it works well enough. I've also allowed my players to swap characters, change classes and other heretical stuff. So far no one has complained...


"It is all very well to point out that the man lacks facility; as he asserts, sheer force can overpower sophistication."
Jack Vance, Rhialto the Marvellous
 

3/25/2020 1:00 pm  #12


Re: XP for places and new things

Ghul wrote:

I do agree that simply awarding levels after so many sessions of play defeats the purpose of the XP progression rates that each character class has. To wit, a thief gains level 3 when a warlock gains level 2. But, of course, at the end of the day making the game fun for you and your participants is the most important thing, so do what thou wilt!
 

 
Damn, Ghul, getting soft in your old age. ;-)

But true, Rule 0 always need to be kept in mind.


What? Me worry?
 

3/25/2020 2:01 pm  #13


Re: XP for places and new things

I've had a party of 6 go through all the published adventures up through Beneath the Comet.  They finally lost their first two party members in that adventure.  The survivors are all 6th-7th level now to give a sense of the pace of progression.  The two new modules look fairly lethal so we'll see what transpires....

Last edited by Spider of Leng (3/25/2020 2:02 pm)


"Could you fancy me as a pirate bold?  Or a longship Viking warrior with the old gods on his side?  Well, I'm an inshore man and I'm nobody's hero.  But I'll make you tight for a windy night and a dark ride."--Jethro Tull
 

3/25/2020 2:30 pm  #14


Re: XP for places and new things

Antalon, that is a great list and very evocative! 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 

3/26/2020 12:21 am  #15


Re: XP for places and new things

Spider of Leng wrote:

I've had a party of 6 go through all the published adventures up through Beneath the Comet.  They finally lost their first two party members in that adventure.

Heh heh heh. Music to my ears.


Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
 

9/30/2020 3:05 am  #16


Re: XP for places and new things

HI Antalon, Jeff Reints also inspired me to incentivize exploration and, to a lesser extent, extraordinary experiences with small XP rewards. However, like others suggested in this thread I recommend significantly reducing the value of your rewards. This is only my opinion but keeping players hungry for XP and gold encourages them to explore and seek adventure for more (one of many reasons I don't like milestone XP)

 

9/30/2020 9:28 am  #17


Re: XP for places and new things

Brock Savage wrote:

HI Antalon, Jeff Reints also inspired me to incentivize exploration and, to a lesser extent, extraordinary experiences with small XP rewards. However, like others suggested in this thread I recommend significantly reducing the value of your rewards. This is only my opinion but keeping players hungry for XP and gold encourages them to explore and seek adventure for more (one of many reasons I don't like milestone XP)

I just started a new campaign and went in the opposite direction. They gain a level after each adventure, with adventures taking about 3-4 sessions. We are not tracking xp or gold for that matter. Its assumed they go on the next adventure after becoming broke! In general they can improve equipment and gain resources based on level but the need for cash drives them to adventure. There is time between adventures to give time for making potions and study etc. In about two years real time we may actually see the 12th level!
 


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 

10/01/2020 4:46 am  #18


Re: XP for places and new things

mabon5127 wrote:

Brock Savage wrote:

HI Antalon, Jeff Reints also inspired me to incentivize exploration and, to a lesser extent, extraordinary experiences with small XP rewards. However, like others suggested in this thread I recommend significantly reducing the value of your rewards. This is only my opinion but keeping players hungry for XP and gold encourages them to explore and seek adventure for more (one of many reasons I don't like milestone XP)

I just started a new campaign and went in the opposite direction. They gain a level after each adventure, with adventures taking about 3-4 sessions. We are not tracking xp or gold for that matter.

I do something similar: never track XP, just level up after several sessions. We do track gold, though, as they're getting near the level that strongholds/guilds/temples/towers will become important.


"It is all very well to point out that the man lacks facility; as he asserts, sheer force can overpower sophistication."
Jack Vance, Rhialto the Marvellous
 

10/01/2020 6:03 am  #19


Re: XP for places and new things

rhialto wrote:

mabon5127 wrote:

Brock Savage wrote:

HI Antalon, Jeff Reints also inspired me to incentivize exploration and, to a lesser extent, extraordinary experiences with small XP rewards. However, like others suggested in this thread I recommend significantly reducing the value of your rewards. This is only my opinion but keeping players hungry for XP and gold encourages them to explore and seek adventure for more (one of many reasons I don't like milestone XP)

I just started a new campaign and went in the opposite direction. They gain a level after each adventure, with adventures taking about 3-4 sessions. We are not tracking xp or gold for that matter.

I do something similar: never track XP, just level up after several sessions. We do track gold, though, as they're getting near the level that strongholds/guilds/temples/towers will become important.

I run into that awkward period during a campaign where characters end up with of with lots of gold and nothing to spend it on. They don't act like adventurers, more like stingy accountants. If you're 5th level and have 18k gps why in the heck are you leaving home. Sorcerers have reasons but a fighter? I could be the gm that uses taxes, thieves, levies, training costs, etc to balance the scales or just let the player decide in what way they expend the excess. They are much more imaginative than I and end up with lots of contacts and NPC interactions I would never think of. I'm still working out how they will afford the stronghold and how they can upgrade equipment consistently etc.  


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 

10/01/2020 2:28 pm  #20


Re: XP for places and new things

I prefer to give tiny bits along the way for just about everything. Not only because as a player I think it's awesome anytime I get to make adjustments on the character sheet, but mainly because I think you gain a little experience from everything you do - put your foot into a spike hole? You learn that freakin' lesson right then and there - not when you get back to the village in 2 weeks to seek out a higher level guru who asks you whether you learned anything or not this time out...


 
 

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