Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tywyll 03-13-04, 12:54 AM	I looooooove the new XP system that does away with the lvl vs. CR chart of old. That has always been a part of 3.x that I loathed. Anyway, it got me thinking about the old 2nd ed class specific ways to earn xp. You know, wizards got bonus xp for casting spells, so did clerics, fighters got bonus xp for defeating opponents, etc, etc. So I was wondering... has anyone thought of updating this? If so, what are you doing with the somewhat broader nature of the classes these days? For instance, saying all rogues get bonus xp for stealing stuff doesn't really make sense. Now, bonus xp for skill usage perhaps might work. What about divorcing the bonuses from specific classes and making them more generalized? Say... If you gave a pure warrior class (anything with a good bab) 25xp x HD (or CR, not sure) of opponents defeated, perhaps classes with midbab would get 15xp x whatever. Maybe all classes could get bonuses from skills used? I really like the idea of going back to rewarding characters for focusing on the things about their class that make them distinct (i.e. the wizard getting xp for working magic, not necessarily for killing orcs).
sindar 03-13-04, 01:18 AM	I really like the idea of going back to rewarding characters for focusing on the things about their class that make them distinct (i.e. the wizard getting xp for working magic, not necessarily for killing orcs). Please note I have never played second edition as I found the AC in it confusing. It a ok idea but I do have a problem with it. If character get XP only or mainly for there speciality Fighting classes have a advantage in XP earnable. You see a low level FX (Magic, Psionics ect) user has limits to how often they cna use there EXP earning abilites, where a fighter can go untill he gets his skull crushed in. Also what about a party that spits up and the fighter happens to be the one who misses creatures but instead incounters traps he just lost out on extra XP. It not a bad idea it just would need a lot of tweaking to work. Here's my new XP option. In UA it says you can take levels in blood lines and pay off your LA. Now whay about paying XP for extra skill points, class skills and Feats. It would represent an investment of your time training to master what ever it is. Now I figure it should follow along the some guide lines as the cost of a permenent magic item thought I'd have to look up what that is. What do you think.
Tywyll 03-13-04, 02:26 AM	Personally, I would love a system whereby you spend xp to buy skill ranks, bab, HD, and everything. I think its a /drastic/ departure from the d20 architecture and would require a lot more time to point smith then I have to make it work. The fighter doesn't necessarily have an advantage over FX characters. How many times have your players spent 30 minutes casting buffs/divinations/protectives before the fight with the BBEG? All of that would be cool xp in the bank for them. Meanwhile, the fighter gets only 1 bump from that: the bbeg himself. The only real let down is the skill monger character type. That's part of my issue with the system and something I want to figure out a way to keep from penalizing them. I guess I've played too many systems like CoC, or Morrowind, where character's using their skills actually improves them. This system, while not exactly modeling that conceit, provided a real benefit to characters working within their archtype, and a way around the (to a minor degree) the ever increasing need to kill bigger and stronger things. Granted, yes, that was still a major source of xp, but a wizard casting spells in his tower by himself could eventually level without facing hoards of goblins. It bothers me that no matter how many times the rogue picks a lock, or sweet talks a reluctant individual, they aren't actually getting better until they stick a knife in said (individual). *yes, yes, I realize that DnD allows for CRs to represent any sort of challenge, but not every climb roll should be worthy of a full CR alotment, nor should every bluff check... but they are all just as worthy a guage of improvement as the orc you just slaughtered*
Glak 03-13-04, 12:06 PM	D&D as written is a party based game, not a character based game. As such you can't really give significant individual XP awards without effectively punishing the other players. Games like Morrowind are character based (you only have one character) so they can use character awards without screwing the other players (because there aren't any) Designing a good adventure is hard enough. Imagine having to check over the adventure to make sure that everyone can get his fair share of XP. Actually that might force you to design better adventures...
Tywyll 03-13-04, 12:38 PM	While I agree that d20 is a party based game, in the campaigns I have run, there have been plenty of 'episodes' in which one type of character got the lion share of the action, or even side-quests involving one or two characters who seperate themselves from the herd to do their own thing. If you reward roleplaying (which I do) there is no reason why you can't seperately reward characters for using their skills. Unless of course you are stuck in the mindset that a party must all be the same level at all times (a conceit that works fine starting out, but breaks down once you have party attrition/raise deads/item creation).