Question about experience awards

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Michael Barakofsky
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Question about experience awards

Unread post by Michael Barakofsky »

I was at my local game store today working on setting things up for my recent appointment as a Megaversal Ambassador. Well I got into a conversation with one of the few other people that runs palladium games in my area. Personally I don't care for his style of running games as he has a habbit of having your characters do what he wants them to do not what your saying your character is doing. (example: In 1 game of his I was in my character was teleported on to a starship from a planet via a rift accident. The intruder alarms went off and before my character knew what was going on he was surrounded by security guards. I said my character raises his hands without any weapons and says "Hi, sorry to just pop in but I seem to be the victim of random rift activity." My character was familiar with Phase World and the 3 galaxies and recognized the head of the security team was a wolfen qutoria (spelling? don't have my book handy). This GM instead has my character haul off and punch the wolfen right in the nose inflicting 40 MD and killing him. To me this is a BAD game master.)

Well anyway he stops in the store today and we get into a conversation about how the new experience system presented in the RUE works. He said that with the exception of the skill awards and the minor, major or great menace awards the rest of the XP awards are only given once per game session. example: you game for 5 hours and you have a character where the player has 10 clever but futile ideas durring that time. Me I would award 10 clever but futile awards but this other GM says that only 1 gets applied.

So I am curious who is right me or him?

Oh, and if any of you know Kevin personally this other GM also said that Kevin said that is how its supposed to be done at a convention or something back in 1990. Personally I don't believe him but if this is true I would like verification.
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by zyanitevp »

Michael Barakofsky wrote:I was at my local game store today working on setting things up for my recent appointment as a Megaversal Ambassador. Well I got into a conversation with one of the few other people that runs palladium games in my area. Personally I don't care for his style of running games as he has a habbit of having your characters do what he wants them to do not what your saying your character is doing. (example: In 1 game of his I was in my character was teleported on to a starship from a planet via a rift accident. The intruder alarms went off and before my character knew what was going on he was surrounded by security guards. I said my character raises his hands without any weapons and says "Hi, sorry to just pop in but I seem to be the victim of random rift activity." My character was familiar with Phase World and the 3 galaxies and recognized the head of the security team was a wolfen qutoria (spelling? don't have my book handy). This GM instead has my character haul off and punch the wolfen right in the nose inflicting 40 MD and killing him. To me this is a BAD game master.)

Well anyway he stops in the store today and we get into a conversation about how the new experience system presented in the RUE works. He said that with the exception of the skill awards and the minor, major or great menace awards the rest of the XP awards are only given once per game session. example: you game for 5 hours and you have a character where the player has 10 clever but futile ideas durring that time. Me I would award 10 clever but futile awards but this other GM says that only 1 gets applied.

So I am curious who is right me or him?

Oh, and if any of you know Kevin personally this other GM also said that Kevin said that is how its supposed to be done at a convention or something back in 1990. Personally I don't believe him but if this is true I would like verification.

I can tell you what Kevin has told me- What is right is whatever works for the group- the gm and the players.
What is important is whether or not you are having fun- and a fun game is one where the players are having fun!
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Michael Barakofsky
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Michael Barakofsky »

zyanitevp wrote:I can tell you what Kevin has told me- What is right is whatever works for the group- the gm and the players.
What is important is whether or not you are having fun- and a fun game is one where the players are having fun!


Yeah, thats how I have felt ever since I started running games back when I was 10 years old. Fun is the most important aspect. I was just curious if the way I award XP is actually correct or not and if this other GM was really quoteing Kevin or just blowing smoke up my rear.
"If ya pardon me plain speaking gentlemen: Are yall STARK RAVING TOTALLY BLINKING DAFT!?!?!" - Captain Silver, Treasure Planet
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Michael Barakofsky
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Michael Barakofsky »

In regards to this other GM, he off handed mentioned an interest in running Rifts games at the store where I now work/plan on running games as an MA. Sadly (maybe I dunno) I am a very polite person and I am not sure how to handle this situation. I gave an example of his running style in my opening statement above. Should I allow him to run games there (I already know that since I am a MA he is going to try to pawn off his stuff as "Official" rules and what not) or as an employee of the store and MA should I inform him that while he is welcome to play he is not welcome to run any games? Or would that be bad form for an MA?

I just don't want his style of running to drive away potential new gamers.
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Carl Gleba
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Carl Gleba »

zyanitevp wrote:I can tell you what Kevin has told me- What is right is whatever works for the group- the gm and the players.
What is important is whether or not you are having fun- and a fun game is one where the players are having fun!


Yeah this exactly. As for me I use the experience points provided as a guide only. Over the years it became to much accounting work to figure out how many skills a character did, how many this and that. So I tend to award experience points on the spot for something I think merits it. Good ideas, good role playing, making me laugh and so on. Then at the end of the game I'll give a exp based on the overall session, types of encounters and so on.
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Akashic Soldier »

Carl Gleba wrote:Over the years it became to much accounting work to figure out how many skills a character did, how many this and that.



HERE you go Carl. I have this open on a laptop or my PC and I just fill it in as the game progresses. Each time one of my players declare a useful skill check, I just add 1 to that field. Each time one does something daring or heroic, I add one to that field. I hardly even have to calculate it and at the end of the Game Session their totals are all added up and I don't need to do anything.

The average experience point total per player for someone in my games seems to be between 800 and 1,600. However, in truly hectic games it has gotten as high as 3,875.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Its just an excel file.
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Carl Gleba
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Carl Gleba »

Thanks A.S. :ok: Yes we had something very similar back in the day, only the players use to make ticks for experience. Just like you said the average XP is XX that is pretty much what my players still get each game session.
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Re: Question about experience awards

Unread post by Akashic Soldier »

Carl Gleba wrote:Thanks A.S. :ok: Yes we had something very similar back in the day, only the players use to make ticks for experience. Just like you said the average XP is XX that is pretty much what my players still get each game session.


Always happy to help. 8)
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