tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post5714502856054112579..comments2024-03-28T21:12:06.818-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: “Earn Everything”JBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-7658202430294954532010-11-08T22:32:01.957-08:002010-11-08T22:32:01.957-08:00I'm with Fumers. I think it gets a little mor...I'm with Fumers. I think it gets a little more complicated in an extensive dungeon like White Plume, where the PCs will undoubtedly be resting & recuperating multiple times without going all the way to town. I do think that PCs should get xp each time they rest/at the end of each session, though leveling up should wait until they get back to civilization and have a chance to train.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-91657931971007218572010-11-05T07:41:38.254-07:002010-11-05T07:41:38.254-07:00In my games when the PCs get a chance to rest, ref...In my games when the PCs get a chance to rest, reflect, study, train and research they get the exps awarded to them. That means a few days to a week or so in a base or in civilization. No one get's "bab bing- you've leveled up" in the middle of a dungeon corridor.<br /><br />Now in a one shot should they earn exp? All up to the DM.JDJarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691101939920824546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-37356890588088834032010-11-04T17:23:54.162-07:002010-11-04T17:23:54.162-07:00My personal policy in many years of running Basic ...My personal policy in many years of running Basic and 1st edition was always to give XP at the end of a session, provided the characters had reached a safe haven and divided the loot. Since that happened 99% of the time, it took care of the problem with a new character joining at the beginning of a session; they got a full share from that session like everyone else. Dead characters got nothing, whether raised or not.<br /><br />(I believe this conforms to the rules as actually written, although I think other ways of handling it would be equally valid if acceptable to the DM and players.)TheShadowKnowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11073693648569864707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-33153046723103139032010-11-04T16:55:57.027-07:002010-11-04T16:55:57.027-07:00First: an example of how I divvy up my experience:...First: an example of how I divvy up my experience: http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2010/10/on-division-of-experience-and-honor.html<br /><br />Second: It's Hackmaster *G*MG<br /><br />Third: You should always, always, always give experience to those pc's who've died in the adventure a share, because otherwise you encourage evil character to kill the other pc's at the end for a larger share.-Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02331863932906631618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-81975629817124675662010-11-04T16:30:37.952-07:002010-11-04T16:30:37.952-07:00@ Joshua: I like this a lot.
@ Fumers: I like THI...@ Joshua: I like this a lot.<br /><br />@ Fumers: I like THIS even better! Thanks for clearing that up...YOU know I LOVE rules citations...expect me to hand out some XP tonight!<br />: )<br />[though I'd still say the rule are ambiguous about characters raised before leaving the dungeon...as Sweet was]<br /><br />@ Java: Too much math!<br /><br />@ David: Me, too!<br /><br />@ Fumers (otra vez): Whenever I've run B2 I've always awarded XP at the end of a session...and SOMETIMES mid-session for multiple forays. I knew I wasn't crazy! I just forgot where this stuff was written!<br /><br />@ Ian: I agree on the NPC promotion thing. I like it as well (and have seen it used to good effect in the past).<br /><br />RE Non-Site based adventures: Moldvay had a pretty specific task with Basic rules, namely, teaching people how to dungeon delve. I'll have to double-check, but I don't think this is extrapolated on in the Expert set (and Mentzer just copied these books, though maybe it's addressed more thoroughly in the RC as Luke/Fumers cites).<br /><br />However, I'd FIRST go back to the LBB's for insight on this before making any strict ruling. As I said there's a lot of room for discussion on XP, it's awarding, and advancement in general. I'm sure I'll be returning to the topic!<br />: )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-82477858971911054282010-11-04T16:11:40.331-07:002010-11-04T16:11:40.331-07:00Reading between the lines of Fumers' quotes, i...Reading between the lines of Fumers' quotes, it seems to me like an adventure, as Moldvay described it, is the time between the characters set out on an expedition and when they return to civilization (though not necessarily the place they ventured out from).<br /><br />The assumption, however, seems to assume that the adventure is exploring a location. Many things that I would also call an adventure don't quite fit that assumption, which is why, JB, I think you may be unhappy with it. <br /><br />I agree with you though that dead (and risen) characters need to be penalized in some may and "no XP" is a great way to handle that. It also gives a reason to promote one of the hirelings/henchman to PC status--which I always enjoyed, both as a player and referee, far more than raise dead.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05494391031541363595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-41414758879081275832010-11-04T15:45:20.637-07:002010-11-04T15:45:20.637-07:00This is probably overkill, but Moldvay wasn't...This is probably overkill, but Moldvay wasn't the only person at TSR at the time to use adventure to mean game session.<br /><br />Gygax on page 2 of B2 Keep on the Borderlands states "Using the KEEP as 'home base', your players should be able to have quite a number of adventures (playing sessions) before they have exhausted all the possibilities of<br />the Caves of Chaos map."Fumershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14156302616243889562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-85464688652893402522010-11-04T15:23:46.458-07:002010-11-04T15:23:46.458-07:00I agree with Fumers and his interpretation of the ...I agree with Fumers and his interpretation of the rules. That's pretty much how I've always done it, though there have been some times when I've ended things in the middle of the action and made everyone wait.David The Archmagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11649391406526258069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-7158043464478592132010-11-04T15:18:15.951-07:002010-11-04T15:18:15.951-07:00I'm not sure how keen I am on revived characte...I'm not sure how keen I am on revived characters receiving 0 xp. I'm not a big fan of heavy bookkeeping, but some kind of calculation based on the percentage of time they were dead makes more sense to me. Once revived, they are participating in the game again... making decisions, voicing opinions etc. They might not be actually delivering blows (or spells), but they are definitely experiencing something :)<br /><br />Say they died approximately halfway through the adventure... that should qualify them for at least half of the XP they would have received. The rest they earn at a reduced rate (50% maybe), so a that a guy who died (but was revived) halfway through would get 50% + 50% of the remaining 50% or a total of 75% of what he would have gotten had he lived. That feels kind of generous now that I've written it out, but the guy(gal?) was freakin' resurrected... that's got to count for something.javamattehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774485977555144887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-61209528174970450752010-11-04T14:56:01.177-07:002010-11-04T14:56:01.177-07:00"Adventure" in "when the adventure ..."Adventure" in "when the adventure is over" literally means a game session. Page B3 of the book (under Definitions of Standard D&D Terms and READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY :) ) says "Each game session is called an adventure". That's about as clear as it gets. <br /><br />Goes on further to say "An adventure begins when the party enters a dungeon, and ends when the party has left the dungeon and divided up the treasure."<br /><br />JB's use of the word "adventure" matches up closer to what Moldvay called a "scenario". <br /><br />Check out Part 8 in the book. It talks about adventuring *in* a scenario. Under the example "Investigating a Chaotic Outpost" it states that the module B2 *is* a scenario (rather than an adventure).<br /><br />Other uses make it clear Moldvay is using "adventure" to mean dungeon delving during a game session like page B61 talking about mapping during an adventure.<br /><br />The Rules Cyclopedia also explicitly uses the word "adventure" to mean game session in Chapter 10 Experience under the Rate of Experience Gain section, saying a character might go up a level "every six or seven adventures".<br /><br />Giving out xp at the end of every session solves the issue of dead characters. You don't get xp if you're dead at the end of a session.<br /><br />Not giving out xp until the party is somewhere safe makes sense to me. BX doesn't seem to have training rules to go up levels but leveling up in a dungeon isn't something I ever liked as a DM.Fumershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14156302616243889562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-80644364756138595472010-11-04T13:31:15.795-07:002010-11-04T13:31:15.795-07:00I disagree, but I think that disagreement hinges o...I disagree, but I think that disagreement hinges on a single point: I reject all of the proffered standards for when an adventure is over. Instead, I think an adventure, that is to say, the "joint venture" of the characters, is over when <i>the characters</i> say its over, and thus divide the loot, which will likely be the primary source of the XP. So if the characters make an expedition and earn nothing but goblin pocket change, they still get XP for defeated goblins and silver pennies, because hey, they survived to earn <i>something</i>, and there's some glory in that story and worth in the telling of it, even if they didn't smash the big idol and eradicate the threat to the village.<br /><br />Of course, I also separate out the actual XP award and the advancement of level -- requiring down-time for the later -- because I believe in giving the players a number to watch going up when they're doing well, even if the scenario is playing merry-hobb with the mechanical effects of that number.Joshua L. Lylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358762663581842879noreply@blogger.com