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From: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: PLAYER characters killing gods?  Give me a break.
Message-ID: <4057@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 23-Feb-85 19:21:56 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4057
Posted: Sat Feb 23 19:21:56 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Mar-85 06:30:57 EST
References: <2469@garfield.UUCP> <237@looking.UUCP> <113@ucbcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 43
Summary: 

In article <113@ucbcad.UUCP> faustus@ucbcad.UUCP writes:
>> I don't know what kind of campaigns you people run, but generally around
>> here you don't see people reaching high level (ie. tenth) except after
>> many years of regular campaigning.  But I guess some play the game
>> differently.
>
>It depends upon how resourceful your players are. For instance, a ring of
>telekinesis, a big rock, and a convoy of fire giants walking along a narrow
>mountain pass can get people a lot of experience very quickly. Also,
>a bunch of poison and a fair number of crossbows (set off with wires) can
>have the same effect...
>
>	Wayne


This points out a major problem with experience points.

Experience points were invented to quantize "experience".  If you follow
the DMG in handing out ep for the encounter with fire giants, then you give
out a lot of experience points.  But that's just a break down in the system.
You have to ask yourself "What experience did the party gain on this
adventure that will make them better {fighters, clerics, magic users, etc.}?"
If you do this, you quickly realize several things:

  (a) experience points are related to killing monsters only vaguely.
  (b) each character deserves to get experience in different amounts
      depending on his class and his actions during the adventure.

RQ! attempts to fix this by basing skill raises on successful skill uses.

Personally, I take this a step farther and base experience points on
roleplaying.  I do this by considering the goals the players have and how
their actions fulfill those goals.  I consider long-term goals much more
important than short term goals.

So, a typical monster-bashing trip might gain very little in the way ep,
while a a monster-bashing trip intended to finance a quest might be worth
a fair amount of ep.

I think this sort of policy is good for your campaign as well, because it
discourages mindless gaming.

					-- Scott "Always an Opinion" Turner