XP Bonuses

Characters earn bonus experience based on playing to type. Everyone is a heroic adventurer and therefore can gain experience points in the same way: killing monsters and training with gold. They can earn bonuses by roleplaying according to the standard tropes for their race (dwarves, elves, halflings, humans) and class (clerics, fighters, mages, thieves).

NPCs and PCs with absent players cannot earn roleplaying bonuses.

Additionally, players can earn XP through game enhancing activities, as outlined below.

Everyone

The following bonuses apply to everyone for the sake of being heroic adventurers.

  • Monster XP for defeat, per standard rules.
  • Spending 1 GP for 1 XP (no bonuses).
  • +1% per trope role-played, with a maximum of +5%. Humans automatically get 10%.
  • Discovery of a wonder or natural resource earns an exploring party 1,000 – 10,000 XP if they can return to civilization with news and reasonable directions. The wonder could be natural (El Capitan, Victoria Falls) or man-made (lost ruined city, lost tribe). A natural resource could be an iron mine or a marble quary.
  • Discovery of an artifact of great cultural significance brought back to civilization can earn as much as 100,000 XP. Artifacts are not necessarily magical. They are hard to keep once known to exist by the authorities.
  • XP for damage taken or delivered was removed for being too much work to track.

Dwarves

  1. Rugged, resilient, courageous. Endures hardship with no complaining or being afraid.
  2. Stubborn
  3. Suspicious
  4. Enjoy a hearty meal and/or a strong drink
  5. Dour. Taciturn. Humorless, except black humor
  6. Discovers something important based on knowledge of stonework
  7. Adventures underground and not on water
  8. Drive a hard bargain
  9. Respects law or tradition
  10. Acquires a double share of gold or gems measured by value

Elves

  1. Graceful
  2. Inquisitive. Notice something by keen eyesight or hearing.
  3. Respects nature over law or tradition
  4. Passionate
  5. Haughty
  6. Adventures in wilderness and not in a city, on water or underground
  7. Collects a magical item
  8. Creates art
  9. Devious
  10. Patient

Halflings

  1. Leverages agility to good effect.
  2. Goes unnoticed. Silent. Hidden.
  3. Outgoing, unassuming, good-natured.
  4. Peaceful.
  5. Quick-witted. Tells stories or jokes.
  6. Adventures in the wilderness.
  7. Spends money on comforts, including good food and drink.
  8. Smokes a pipe.
  9. Risks danger to satisfy curiosity.
  10. Lucky

Half-Orcs

  1. Aggressive and short-tempered.
  2. Serious, brooding, sullen.
  3. Prefers acting to pondering. Prefers fighting to arguing.
  4. Shows tribal loyalty.
  5. Seeks acceptance and friendship.
  6. Enjoys simple pleasures, including feasting and drinking.
  7. Adventures in the wilderness.
  8. Chooses combat as the true test of personal worth.
  9. Gathers wealth, especially territory.
  10. Bullies the weak, to the point of enslavement.

Humans

Automatic 10% bonus, per standard rules. Humans are diverse and tolerant of diversity.

Barbarians

  1. Fights in combat.
  2. Use strength to good effect.
  3. Rages.
  4. Destroys the unnatural.
  5. Uses primitive methods when sophisticated solutions are available.

Clerics

  1. Practices a key tenet of faith
  2. Preaches or ministers
  3. Smites undead
  4. Offers wisdom or act wisely
  5. Offers help, including healing

Druids

  1. Protects plants and animals, particularly oak and mistletoe
  2. Gets revenge on those who damage nature
  3. Maintains balance between good and evil
  4. Adventures in the wilderness
  5. Performs rituals and rites, including sacrifice

Fighters

  1. Fights in combat
  2. Use strength to good effect, such as breaking down a door
  3. Protects a weaker companion
  4. Leads the group
  5. Stands in the front or guards the rear

Mages

  1. Acquires magic or knowledge of the arcane
  2. Avoids combat
  3. Demonstrates superior intelligence
  4. Manipulates with words
  5. Uses magic when mundane solutions are available

Paladins

  1. Practices a key tenet of faith.
  2. Smites undead.
  3. Protects the weak.
  4. Leads the group.
  5. Fights in combat.

Thieves

  1. Steals. Also, the value of anything stolen awards 1 XP / 1 GP in value immediately. Can also be spent later on training.
  2. Uses dexterity to good effect, including thief skills.
  3. Successfully deciphers an unknown language or reads an arcane scroll (use Find Traps roll at 3 levels lower, not usable until 4th level).
  4. Attacks by surprise or behind and never in frontal assault.
  5. Avoids honest work. Runs a racket. Plays a trick for monetary gain.

Exchanging Gold for XP

Characters may exchange 1 GP for 1 XP, usually called training, though other activities can represent this transaction. No percentage bonuses apply. The time required varies based on where the gold goes. Training lasts one week. See Experience for Gold.

Game Enhancing Activities

Players can earn XP equal to 5% of that needed to go from their current level to the next level by producing any of the following.

  • Exceptional heroism during play
  • Writing a session report of about 500 words
  • Drafting a map of any kind, including places no one has ever been
  • Illustrating game objects or events
  • Composing other evocative works such as lore or poetry

For example, Fighters reach 5th level at 16,000 XP and 6th level at 32,000, thus requiring 16,000 XP to go up a level. 5% of 16,000 is 800.