In defense of larger experience point values.

Ratman_tf · August 17, 2020, 04:15:55 PM

So we're playing a Starfinder Society adventure that's actually broken up into 5 mini-adventures. Which my brother picked because we're limited to two hours at the local gaming pub due to the beer bug.
What I found amusing is that in a society session, you get 1 experience point for the scenario, and 3 exp to level up.
But the smaller mini-adventures are less than a full session, so you do all 5 of them to get the 1 session xp.
Which would have been no problem if the society used the regular xp system in the book. Or even a 1/100 or 1/10 ratio.

RPGPundit · August 25, 2020, 05:36:51 PM

Just level everyone up when you think it's leveling time?

Shasarak · August 25, 2020, 07:31:36 PM

Quote from: Ratman_tf;1145291So we're playing a Starfinder Society adventure that's actually broken up into 5 mini-adventures. Which my brother picked because we're limited to two hours at the local gaming pub due to the beer bug.
What I found amusing is that in a society session, you get 1 experience point for the scenario, and 3 exp to level up.
But the smaller mini-adventures are less than a full session, so you do all 5 of them to get the 1 session xp.
Which would have been no problem if the society used the regular xp system in the book. Or even a 1/100 or 1/10 ratio.

So how do the mini adventures compare with a normal scenario?

Svenhelgrim · August 25, 2020, 07:46:14 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1146431Just level everyone up when you think it's leveling time?

I do this.

I used to count up the XP for the players and divide it up. But I felt they werelevelling too quickly. So I just told them I would be using the "milestone" system. My larty of 7 PC's is steamrolling all of my encounters so I have slowed things down and will level them when I feel they have earned it.

Ratman_tf · August 25, 2020, 07:55:49 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1146431Just level everyone up when you think it's leveling time?

Woudln't work too well for the Society play, because you're not always playing with the same GM or players from session to session.

For myself, I do think xp is the biggest incentive for players, since it's the way they level up their characters and get more powerful. So I like to use that system of incentive with a risk/reward decision. Play it safe, don't take any chances, you'll probably finish the adventure but progress more slowly. Take some risks, explore all the nooks and crannies, extend the characters and you earn more xp and advance faster.

Ratman_tf · August 25, 2020, 07:58:43 PM

Quote from: Shasarak;1146445So how do the mini adventures compare with a normal scenario?

Same but shorter.

To be specific, the society adventures do tend to be pretty linear and regimented. The short scenarios are even moreso, with some RP to start out, some obstacle requiring skill checks or whatnot, and a combat encounter. Not necessarily in that order, but usually. Two or three encounters with the expected RP and banter in-between is usually all we have time for in a two hour block.

Shasarak · August 25, 2020, 09:42:30 PM

Quote from: Ratman_tf;1146453Same but shorter. To be specific, the society adventures do tend to be pretty linear and regimented. The short scenarios are even moreso, with some RP to start out, some obstacle requiring skill checks or whatnot, and a combat encounter. Not necessarily in that order, but usually. Two or three encounters with the expected RP and banter in-between is usually all we have time for in a two hour block.

I mean, if you do 5 of the mini-adventures would that be the same as a scenario? Or would it be more along the lines of 2 mini's for 1 normal?

Ratman_tf · August 26, 2020, 12:23:16 AM

Quote from: Shasarak;1146465I mean, if you do 5 of the mini-adventures would that be the same as a scenario? Or would it be more along the lines of 2 mini's for 1 normal?

Ah yeah. 5 adventures (good first guess) equals one 'regular' session xp point. All 5 are listed on the society sheet, and you check them off as you do them.

As a side note, that's how I structures my Starfinder Mercenaries campaign before Covid locked things down. I'd write up 2 or 3 short adventures instead of one long one per session. Everyone seemed to enjoy being able to get two goals accomplished in one night. It also gave them the freedom to turn down a contract and still have stuff prepped.
I'd planned to prep longer adventures eventually, but still keeping them relativley short.

Shasarak · August 26, 2020, 12:36:51 AM

Quote from: Ratman_tf;1146493Ah yeah. 5 adventures (good first guess) equals one 'regular' session xp point. All 5 are listed on the society sheet, and you check them off as you do them.

As a side note, that's how I structures my Starfinder Mercenaries campaign before Covid locked things down. I'd write up 2 or 3 short adventures instead of one long one per session. Everyone seemed to enjoy being able to get two goals accomplished in one night. It also gave them the freedom to turn down a contract and still have stuff prepped.
I'd planned to prep longer adventures eventually, but still keeping them relativley short.

That does seem slow, roughly 15 weeks to level.

My current Age of Ashes campaign seems to be leveling at a rate of roughly 1 every 4 to 6 weeks

Ratman_tf · August 26, 2020, 01:28:20 AM

Quote from: Shasarak;1146496That does seem slow, roughly 15 weeks to level.

My current Age of Ashes campaign seems to be leveling at a rate of roughly 1 every 4 to 6 weeks

Standard rate is 1 xp per scenario, 3 xp per level. So biweekly that's 6 weeks to level if you make every session and complete it in a single night.

GameDaddy · August 26, 2020, 04:03:14 AM

Well, in my old school games, the average is to level every game session for characters 1st through 4 level, with 5th through 10th level character leveling about once a month (playing once a week), and 11th plus leveling about every two months.

Spinachcat · August 28, 2020, 12:07:23 AM

The best leveling system I've seen is 13th Age. You gain a level after 4 sessions, but each session you a piece of a level, like the new spell, or the extra HP, or the +1 attack, etc. Thus, you always feel your character is gaining power.

To a very large extent, I've adopted Dave Arneson's method and just given +1 level after each adventure is completed. I have no patience anymore for counting XP. That sounds insanely fast, but my OD&D caps at 10th level and the death rate for any given adventure is 20%. It usually takes 2-3 sessions to complete an adventure (8-12 hours of play). Players love to level up and fast levels are my trade-off for the merciless combats. AKA, high risk, high reward rpging.

RPGPundit · September 02, 2020, 01:16:37 PM

Wrong. The best leveling system is Lion & Dragon.

I could be biased.