Your character’s journey in Alacrity is defined by the challenges they face and overcome, the choices they make, and the stories they help create. As they adventure, they gain Experience Points (XP), which represent their growth, learning, and increasing mastery. As detailed in Chapter 2: Creating a Character, you spend this XP to improve your skills.
XP awards are determined by the Game Master and reflect the value of your character’s experiences. Typically, XP is granted for three main reasons:
- Participation: To ensure consistent progress and reward players simply for showing up and contributing to the shared story, the GM should award a small amount of XP at the end of each game session. This acknowledges the time and effort invested.
- Achieving Goals: Characters earn XP for successfully completing objectives, overcoming significant obstacles, and resolving plots within the adventure. These can range from minor tasks to major milestones.
- Roleplaying Contribution: Alacrity thrives on collaborative storytelling. Players are encouraged to embody their characters, making interesting choices, engaging with the world and its inhabitants, and contributing to the richness of the narrative. Compelling roleplaying is a source of XP, often awarded at the end of a session or story arc.
Recommended XP Award Ranges:
The specific amount of XP awarded should align with the overall power level and pacing of the campaign, as defined by the GM (matching the levels used for Starting XP). The following ranges offer guidelines:
Low Power Campaign (e.g., 100 Starting XP):
- For Participation (per player, per session): Award 3-5 XP.
- For Achieving Goals (per player):
- Minor Goal or Significant Obstacle: 5-10 XP.
- Major Objective or Story Arc Milestone: 15-30 XP (up to 50 XP for major campaign turning points).
- For Roleplaying Contribution (per player, per session or story arc): Award 3-8 XP.
(With these ranges, after a session with participation, one minor goal, and good roleplaying, a character might earn 3 + 10 + 8 = 21 XP, allowing for some noticeable but not drastic improvement. A session resolving a major goal might yield 3 + 30 = 33 XP, a more significant jump reflecting a key accomplishment.)
Medium Power Campaign (e.g., 150 Starting XP):
- For Participation (per player, per session): Award 5-8 XP.
- For Achieving Goals (per player):
- Minor Goal or Significant Obstacle: 10-20 XP.
- Major Objective or Story Arc Milestone: 30-50 XP (up to 75 XP for major campaign turning points).
- For Roleplaying Contribution (per player, per session or story arc): Award 5-12 XP.
High Power Campaign (e.g., 225 Starting XP):
- For Participation (per player, per session): Award 8-12 XP.
- For Achieving Goals (per player):
- Minor Goal or Significant Obstacle: 15-25 XP.
- Major Objective or Story Arc Milestone: 40-75 XP (up to 100+ XP for major campaign turning points).
- For Roleplaying Contribution (per player, per session or story arc): Award 8-15 XP.
The GM should use these ranges as a flexible tool. They can adjust the specific amount within the range based on the actual effort and risk involved in an accomplishment, and the overall pace they want for the campaign. Consistent awards, clearly communicated, help players understand what is valued in your game.
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File Created: 05/04/2025 Last Modified: 05/04/2025