Experience

Experience Points Awards

Experience points are a measure of a character's ability to learn or improve Statistics, Skills and Magic. Experience is awarded to a player's character based on the following four categories. Note that a Session is considered to be 3.5 to 4 hours of real time play and Sessions of greater or lesser duration should have their Experience Awards adjusted accordingly.

A number of spreadsheets are available to assist in the automation of the EP calculation.

Attendance and Preparation

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-500 EP / Session

This category is awarded for turning up to game sessions on time and prepared to play. The full award should be given to characters whose players turn up on time with character sheets completed and the necessary accessories for play. Courtesy by a player in informing the Game-master when they may be late or unable to play due to other commitments should result in some award. Beginning players should be given leeway in respect of not having complete character sheets. A player who is constantly distracted or distracts others when they are trying to play is not properly attending should be given a reduced award.

GUIDELINES

• Full award for turning up on time and prepared to play.
• 75% award for incomplete character sheet.
• 50% award for no character sheet or unable to attend but supplying character sheet.
• 25% award for expected non-attendance without supplying character sheet.
• No award for unexpected non-attendance.

Lateness should result in an appropriate adjustment to the entire experience award for the session dependent on the degree of lateness. (i.e. arriving 1 hour late should result in 75% of the total 'normal' award for that session).

Role-playing

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-500 EP / Session

This category is awarded for good role-playing, both characterisation and player's enjoyment. It is possible to play an obnoxious or annoying character well but in such a fashion that other players 'enjoy' the character. This category is totally up to the Game-master's judgement but should be based on consistency of motive and action and enjoyment by the players and Gamemaster. Take into account how well the player differentiates between being in and out of character and stays in-character when they should be.

GUIDELINES

• Full award for believable and consistent characterisation which was enjoyable by most present.
• Half award for adequate role-playing or good role-playing that annoyed players.
• No award when a block of wood could have done better or they managed to seriously and continually annoy the Game-master or most of the players.

Contribution

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-500 EP / Session

This category is awarded for taking part in the action of the session, either by providing ideas (or non-ideas) or by appropriate or innovative use of the abilities or possessions of the character. How much did the player and / or their character contribute to the game compared with how much they were able to contribute.

GUIDELINES

• Full award for consistently and interestingly being a major contributor to the action when possible and refraining from contributing when unable to do so in-character.
• Half award for contributing occasionally when able to and also occasionally when unable to.
• No award for consistently contributing when unable to and hindering other player's or character's appropriate contributions.

Quest Level

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-1500 EP / Session

This category is awarded based solely on the difficulty and complexity of the quest. The adjudged level of difficulty and risk should be announced at the beginning of the quest and the Game-master should endeavour to abide by this level. This means not making things harder when the party is able to overpower the quest and also not being easy on younger and less experienced characters when the quest seems too tough for them.

QUEST LEVELS

0 EP Very Low Level

The characters will be confronted with little personal risk, with death unlikely, low ability opponents, e.g. animals, low experience NPC's. Problems will have readily obtainable solutions with little, low Rank magic involved.

300 EP Low Level

The characters will be confronted with some personal risk with opponents of some ability, e.g. humanoid monsters, NPC's with some experience. Problems will have obtainable solutions with some low Rank magic and a little, medium Rank magic involved.

600 EP Medium Level

The characters will be confronted with definite personal risk, and possible death, with opponents of equal ability, e.g. lesser undead, monsters, experienced NPC's. Problems will require thought and include magic, though little magic above medium Rank.

900 EP High Level

The characters will be confronted with high personal risk, including the likelihood of death, with tough opponents, e.g. greater undead, devils, very experienced mages. Problems will be difficult and involve much magic and/or ingenuity, but not entirely high Rank magic.

1200 EP Very High Level

The characters will be confronted with death, possibly irresurrectable, with very tough opponents, e.g. powerful groups, individual dragons or Powers. Problems will require thought, ingenuity and magic to solve and will involve any (and probably all) magic.

1500 EP Extreme Level (Certain Death or World-Saving)

The characters will be confronted with almost certain death, probably irresurrectable, with virtually unbeatable opponents, e.g. groups of Powers, Empires. Problems will be all but unsolvable and will involve any and all magic plus stuff not readily possible within the rules.

To assist in helping you determine the level of your character there are spreadsheets available to help you.

New Categories March 2013

Reference

Two new EP categories were added in March 2013 to reflect additional area's worthy of reward.

Narrative

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-500 EP / Session

Helping to progress and enrich the narrative.

GM's Choice

POTENTIAL AWARD: 0-500 EP / Session

This award is specific to the GM, awarded for the values/behaviour they personally wish to reward

Scribe Notes

Recommended Guidelines for Experience Rewards for Good Scribe Notes

Scribe Notes are more than a game mechanic, adequate Notes provide a record for future parties, notes and reminders for players, a scurrilous rag of gutter gossip, potential material for Seagate Times articles, and a possible source for award nominations. They should be easy to read, research, and help tie together the unique historical aspects of the game.

Although the degree of benefit to the campaign is debatable, we broadly agree that the following constitutes excellent Notes:

• Timely, updated and circulated each week between evenings
• Accurate and relevant, and not verbose
• Factual, including Party members, leader, scribe, mission, key places, people, items, party actions and events, although actions may be in a sealed section.
• Observations on the locations, so that others may recognise or revisit them
• Gossipy but not garrulous
• Structured and cross referenced so that salient facts are easy to find.
• Keep track of the date, and any in game training etc.

A scaled EP award can be made to the Party Scribe on presentation of the finished Notes to the GM. The Guild Guaranteed 10 point healing potion is a separate item administered by the Guild Librarian (Keith) and generally granted when a copy of the Notes are lodged with him.

The recommended EP reward is in two parts:

100 EP per session (night or 4 hours) that the notes cover to an adequate degree.

Up to an additional 150 EP per session (night or 4 hours) for excellence in the above categories.

So for a season of 10 sessions, we would expect the Scribe to receive 1000 EP for adequate notes, and up to 1500 EP more for excellent notes.

The award is at the discretion of the GM, hopefully on receipt of the finalised Notes. Exceptional Notes may attract an exceptional reward above or below that suggested above.

Awards for GMs

Experience points are given to GMs who GM a full quarter (9+ nights). The Experience award is a flat sum that can be spent on any Character by the GM.

If they do not play a character in the same quarterly session as they GM the Experience award is: 10,000 EP.

If they do play in the same quarter as they GM the Experience award is: 5,000 EP.