thoughts?
It's so much easier than keeping track of exp. Really, that should be the default system of 4e. You may want to check the most likely number of encounters they'll face, and check the total exp so they aren't levelling up too early or too late.
I argued that the designer of modules (such as the H1-E3 module line) should know at what point an average party would level up based on the encounters planned. I also said that DMs who write their own adventuers would have an easier time of it, since the would know how many PCs to expect. A friend pointed out that in both cases, there might be sidequests that the PCs choose to go on, or not... but IMHO all that does is potentially mess up the math. You either get the case where the PCs go on enough sidequests to level early, and end up higher level than you planned for for some encounters, or you get the case where the PCs skip some optional sidequests and end up lower level than you planned.
By doing something like you are suggesting, the DM would always know what level his players should be when they get to a particular point in the campaign. There would also be less incentive for PCs to do sidequests simply to "grind" levels.
The main drawback is that your players may like the idea that every hardship they face contributes to their leveling speed. Under both of our ideas, the players are only "rewarded" for advancing the plot - and although they may choose to go on subquests for other reasons, leveling up is the main motivation for most players until they get attached to the plot.
I personally perfer the story based method, thus they get rewards for acompishing goals, not for just killing. So if they manage to piss a few extra people off, or come up with some crafty way to solve the situation i don't have to worry about it.
Really your the DM. If you want to add a few enounters, then do so. Though i would let the Players know before hand, so the don't thing "WFT?? where's my XP?"
I reduce XP to a 10 point system per level. 1 point each time we play (which helps alleviate the no combat no XP disappointment) and a number of points for quest completion. It basically amounts to the same thing as level them whenever you feel like it since you can set the point value of any quest, but personally as a player I prefer the DM has some transparency to this and not have it totally on their whim. Also, I only ever come up with a situation and the background information of a person, place or thing, so I have no idea how long a "chapter" will last. Depending on how the players go about resolving a situation, they could create quests along the way through the "chapter." A quest basis allows them to increase how fast they level.
I reduce XP to a 10 point system per level. 1 point each time we play (which helps alleviate the no combat no XP disappointment)
Just FYI, your supposed to give out XP for roleplaying. 1 normal encounter per hour.
you can always calculate when your players will level up based on the adventure you are running. You can then subtract a fixed percentage, 10-20% from each encounter until they are at the XP level you want them to be to fit well with the overall story and campaign. Your players would probably not notice, but it will require some work from your part.
I did a similar exercise for H1 and came to the conclusion that my players would be too high level by the end of H1 (as they were only 4 players in the beginning). So I started to reduce their XP with 20% at midpoint in the adventure and will run it to the end. This will allow them to level up to Level 4 after H1 which is the entry point for H2.
I like the story-based plan mentioned above. Savage Worlds does this (as do other systems), and I like it.
When everyone levels at the same time then you really don't have any surprises you know about what difficulty is possible and what is not. Especially sandboxing a campaign. Trying to run a daily sandboxed campaign mostly impromtued, and not keeping the track of the PCs XP then finding out that one PC is 3 levels higher than the others. Keeping everyone together and equal makes everyone feel like they properly participate.
I explain that to any new players that join my group. I don't use XP, everyone levels when I roughly believe that they fairly deserve to level. Depending on the level of action/roleplaying I usually level my characters in my weekly campaign every one to three sessions. That gives plenty of time to dole out appropriate rewards spread out over different sessions, instead of running through a whole adventure and just receiving a truck load of level appropriate gold and gear in a treasure chest at the end of the adventure.
It's just important to get player input when you decide to implement system changes. My players love the story based leveling system, it's one less number they have to worry about, and it creates suspense. They have an idea of when they will level, but they're never quite sure if at this or the next extended rest I will announce, "Welcome players to level X." Occasionally you have that problem character that wants it his way regardless of what everyone else wants. And usually I offer to comprimise by letting him know where he is XP wise by giving him chunks of XP. Which is the easiest way for me to explain things, as I very rarely have a simple "You see 10 orcs blocking your path with angry faces and weapons drawn." encounters. There is usually other factors involved in encounters whether the PCs are aware of them or not, usually I have a built in skill challenge somewhere in the battle as well as multiple objectives that can or can't be completed. Usually something like "You find yourself at the edge of a chasm having chased the gang of orcs who kidnapped the little girl you've been looking for, there is a rickety rope bridge about 50ft long of questionable strength. It's just wide enough to walk single file across. The winds are picking up making the bridge sway and you realize that the gang leader has run into a nearby building with the little girl as the rest of his gang stare at you menacingly. What do you do?"
Choice is ever important with everything as we may have learned from the Matrix. And when players have a choice in the adventure, and about the rules they feel like apart of the game instead of just a few numbers on a piece of paper. And that's really what I strive for in a game. Let the players understand that I've built this game to entertain and to challenge. Both in numbers and in character, and they usually react favorably because of it.
Mathius