Sunday, May 10, 2015

Good Riddance Experience Points


I do enough accounting in real life,
Years ago I decided to rid my RPGs of this tedium;
therefore


No  More  Experience  Points 


As characters face and overcome challenges, they gain experience and knowledge, which allows them to fulfill the roles demanded of them.  At the end of each game session, each surviving character that has not significantly disrupted play is awarded an experience throw; roll d6 for PCs and d4 for NPCs:
 

Experience Table
  1)        Preferred class level is increased one
  2)         +2  to physical age & +2 hit points
  3)         +1  skill or language              
  4)          House rules, DM decides
  5)         +1 skill, language or DM approved feat
  6)         +1 level 

  

   1)    The character’s level increases by one iff he belongs to the character class preferred by his race. If the character does not belong to a class preferred by his race (Table 1.3), then increase any  desired ability score by one (+1). Humans with a primary ability score of 15+ treat any class to which they belong to as if it were their preferred class. Exotic races have allowed classes, they do not have preferred classes. Belonging to the preferred or favored class of your race increases speed of level progression; it does not increase your hit points, skills or competence.


   2)     When a character’s physical age has exceeded his allotted life span, then he is irrevocably dead.  With age, also comes experience (+2hp) - this aging is in additional to normal passage of time in the campaign (usually 1 year between modules/ adventures). Do not forget to adjust abilities by age category. The 7th level mage spell/ limited wish  will only restore ten years of age/youth.

 . ..
   3)    New skills are not automatically awarded with advancement of level; they must be selected.             Multi classing is NOT necessary as PCs may select to be trained in any skill which they desire. 


   4)     The DM adds either one level, skill or ability score increase that is appropriate for the PCs or NPCs recent actions, role or desired character build.    
   

5)    The maximum number of skills, languages and/or feats allowed to a character may not exceed 1/3rd the sum of characterz INT score and his level. The Ergodika campaign assumes armor and weapon proficiency acquisition as long as it appropriate for characterz class or background.


  6)    Maximum obtainable level for a player character is ten plus his current primary ability modifier.


For a more verbose argument to ditch experience points , I recommend these posts:

http://geek-related.com/2014/02/02/the-time-for-experience-points-has-come-and-gone/

http://thedragonsflagon.blogspot.com/2014/02/to-xp-or-not-to-xp.html

4 comments:

  1. Is (2) +2 to the age cap (good) or 2 years closer to reaching that cap (bad)? Also, should this number vary by PC race?

    ~V~

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  2. Most DMs have their own tables for age categories for individual races. In my campaign, measured in years , for

    Dwarves adulthood is 40- 74; max is 150+d20
    Eves adulthood is 50-299, max is 500+ d100
    ½ elves adulthood is 40- 89, max is 200+ d100
    halflings adulthood is 30 - 49, max is 100+ d20
    Humans adulthood is 20- 39, max is 85+ d20
    Orc s adulthood is 15- 29, max is 60+ d20


    “The common belief that medical science has greatly lengthened life is a misconception, arising from the failure to distinguish between life span and life expectancy. Life span is the average duration of life in persons who have avoided all disease and accidents. . . The span of life is fixed biologically and has been so for millennia. For most persons, the clock runs down by the 85th year, and it seems to make little difference whether one inhabits a luxurious urban apartment or a primitive hut. . . actuaries have shown that a maximum life span of 115 years is an extreme rarity, occurring only once in 2.1 billion lives.”
    Adams & Victor, Principles of Neurology, 1993.

    ReplyDelete
  3. According to Professor Phillip Daileader
    (William and Mary)

    In the high middle ages, mortality from disease was high; 25% in infancy, then again, another 25% by twelve years of age. War, conflict, accidents and criminal violence were relatively common, further reducing expected male life expectancy to the mid-forties. Female family members were often called upon to assume many roles traditionally reserved for men. Hence, women enjoyed a legal status not allowed in ancient times that was redacted by the Catholic church in the late middle ages.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Interesting. I still like the old XP accounting but you may game more than me. http://backtothedungeon.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete