Experience for nuthin and yo chicks for free

[Supplement Four]

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You swing your bastard sword and watch your enemies flee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Experience for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta clear out the witch's coven
Crucify some bad guys and lynch some lackeys
We gotta move them with interrorgators
We ain't moved by their yells and pleas

See the little gobby with the earrings and get-up
Yeah buddy he ain't got no hair
That little gobby got tons of relatives
That little gobby's gonna be manure

We got dungeons and plenty o' plunderin'
Custom knives to slice 'n dice
We got movement among the horizon
We got 'em comin' across the levees

I shoulda learned to swing a sword
I shoulda learned to knock 'em dead
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the shield and thigh
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that ? Hobgoblin noises ?
Bangin' on the boy-yo's with one hand free
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You swing your bastard sword get your kicks for free

I tell ya, it ain't nuthin
Collective slicin' and dicin'
We gotta protect the instigators
We gotta move against the horde

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You swing your sword and watch your enemies flee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' get your chicks for free
Money for nothin' get chicks for free



-1988, Dire Straits (almost)

 

[Supplement Four]

This is another "I wonder who else does this" post. I started my campaign with the intent on playing through the characters' full lives (or...a lot of it. Plans are always flexible in an RPG).

We started the game with the characters at 11 years old. Each session, we skipped a year (played a session at age 12, then age 13-14, then age 15), and we watched the characters change from being children to warriors. Then, we went straight into their first bloody encounter.

Well, we've just finished that up. The PCs are returning to the village as heroes. Their clansmen will be suitably in awe of what these 16 year olds have accomplished.

Once they get back, I think it's going to be time to advance the clock again. I think I'm going to move it ahead two or three years. I'll quickly cover the time by allowing crafting, describing the general events that occur of the time, and take care of any long-term goals that the PCs can get done within the time frame (like learn a new language--stuff like that). I may even describe changing dynamics with NPCs and even introduce a new NPC.

Then, with the PCs now aged 18 or 19 or 20 (depending on how long I advance the clock), we'll begin the next great adventure that will happen in their lives.

I'm going to give the PCs XP for this time we skipped. Not much, but a little. I figure that they didn't stop learning and having at least some experiences as the time goes by--advancing them almost as I would an important NPC.

What I think is fair is 1,000 XP (3.5 based game) per game year. Since that works out to 2.7 points per day, I'll round up to 3 XP per day.

So, if I skip 18 months, then the characters get 1620 XP. If I skip 2 years even, I'll probably just give them the 2000 XP.





The question of this post becomes: Do you skip time in your game? And, if you do, do you award some XP to the PCs to account for that game time not played?

 

[Spectator]

I guess I see the logic in it, I just never have had characters that lasted long!
I certainly can see the benefit of awarding experience in a barbaric culture where hunting a wild boar for dinner should gain experience for the hunter, but what about city-slickers? Would they get it in droves? Yeah several thousand points here and there and you'll have a bunch of 5th level a$$holes bullying newbies around, lol.

 

[Supplement Four]

I certainly can see the benefit of awarding experience in a barbaric culture where hunting a wild boar for dinner should gain experience for the hunter, but what about city-slickers? Would they get it in droves?

I think considering the environment is paramount. I'd probably give city-slickers some but not as much.

Maybe this...

3 pts a day for high experience environment (as with a barbarian culture).

2 pts a day for a moderate experience environment (as living in the Westermark, or maybe as a Zuaigir nomad).

1 pt a day for a low experience environment (as with living in the Maul of Shadizar).

Then, for safe enviornments, go to 1 pt every two days, 1 pt every three days, and so on.

This would be for PCs and very important NPCs only.

I wouldn't worry about faceless mooks and other NPCs (I'd use the NPC system I posted in the other thread).

 

[Supplement Four]

Here's an idea for PCs.

How about awarding them 1 pt per X days, where X = the character's level. The thinking is: the higher the character, the more able he is to deal with these miscellaneous challenges that happen "off camera", the less he is really challenged. The effect is that the PC gets something but not much.

A modifier could be thrown in to adjust for the PC's environmental conditions. The thief living in Shadizar's Maul might get 1pt per (X times 3) days, while the barbarian who risks his life regularly in his native environment will get the original 1 pt per X days.

Therefore, when skipping 3 years....

A 1st level Barbarian would get 1095 pts and become 2nd level. (1pt per 1 day)

A 2nd level Barbarian would get 548 pts (1pt per 2 days).

A 5th level Thief in Shadizar's Maul would get 73 pts (1 pt per {5 * 3} days).

Just a thought.

 

[Spectator]

I wasn't intending to bag your 3 pts/ day in your original message. For barbarians et al. I think it is kinda fair. The one point/ day might be too little. I guess it all really matters how far you want WAIT, SORRY, you did post something about the average mook in another post.
I definitely think if this system is for select npc and pcs, then 3 points/ day should be used.

Environment is everything.

I guess the tough part conceptually is professions that don't lend themselves to the traditional "kill something= exp. pts" model.

City slicker scholars who are learning archaic Stygian, poring over old texts, and rummaging through their libraries all while in the confines of the city walls should be hooked up with exp points too.