From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Experience points for roleplaying
Date: 15 Aug 92 22:57:36 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <1992Aug15.162313.599@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
>> Because that increases their "wiliness", their "knowlege", and their
>> "adventuring experience", but won't make them any better able to 
>> swing a sword / cast a spell.  The benefit they get from solving a
>> plot is in becoming better players, not in their characters' getting
>> more hit points.
>
>	In other words, you don't give them experience for having experience.

Precisely.  Because they've already "gotten the benefit" of being more
experienced.

>> Maybe I'm spoiled, and I -do- just have incredible players, who really
>> do care more about roleplaying than about powergaming.  I once just
>> -forgot- to give them experience points for killing a "true" dragon
>
>	Apparently you do have an exceptional group of players. Even my players
>(a very good lot I've had over the years) want to know their xp totals by the
>beginning of the next session. 

Well, I do try to do that, but the fact that I occasionally don't (and
that they don't catch me at it :-) simply indicates to me that their
goals in playing are, like mine, something other than min/maxing to
get powerful.

>Your system may work for your group, but there
>are many out there it would crash 'n' burn with -- powergamers would run
>one-dimensional juggernauts because there was nothing stopping them, and
>roleplayers in such groups would have to get munchkinized or get left out.

Ick.  I've seen those kinds of players.  I make people fill in for
missing players in my campaigns, to see how they work out before I'll
let them roll a character of their own.  I can't stand powergaming on
principle, and in fact I don't make much (any?) of a distinction
between that and munchkinism.

>Maybe I'm just used to the way GURPS awards character points: for
>roleplaying and for mission success. You don't get experience for hack
>'n' slash or finding treasure.

I'm going to differentiate here between AD&D style experience: XP,
and "experience", which is just "getting to know your character 
and his environment better".

See, what XP's mainly do for you is make you better in combat.  To me
(and my players), roleplaying serves the function of making you a
better player, but the advantages that you gain through that are
gained in "experience" (as above) for the player.  It makes him a
better player, as he gets more and more acclimated to that particular
campaign scenario, and more familiar with his character.

Thus, that kind of experience is its own reward, and I don't give
"points" to back that up.  "Points" are awarded strictly for
practicing your character class' primary skills.  Typically, although
not "exclusively", that means in combat.  Two non-combat examples: I
gave a fighter a large number of experience points for spending
several weeks training under a very exceptional master-at-arms, and I
gave a wizard experience points for using his wizardry very cleverly
in a non-combat situation.

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd