Typically your character will get Experience Points at the end of an adventure, or the end of a game session, maybe even at the end of an encounter depending upon the game and the style of your gamemaster. Characters will “level up” (a term I use generically to cover purchasing new and increased abilities as well as gaining levels in certain traditional RPGs) at random times and in random places. There’s no connection between the narrative flow of the story and characters suddenly manifesting new abilities.
Okay, sure, gamemasters wing this all he time. At least, some do. More should. A wizard learning a new spell should be at least a minor story point, a subplot at least. A superhero who adds a new widget to his power armor should at least get a mention. That stuff should get worked in, not go unnoticed or treated almost as a retcon.
Yes, I know quite a few gamemasters delay gratification. You have to wait until the end of the adventure to level up, and we hand-wave some bologna about learning stuff in the downtime between adventures. You have to find someone who knows that skill, or that spell, or whatever.
Here’s my question: WHY? does the system (i.e., perception of how RPGs work) function this way, and continue this way?
Assumption #1: Characters are going to level up at some point. This such a safe assumption, let’s just call it “fact”.
Assumption #2: It would be easier for gamemasters to plan adventures if they knew when and how characters were going to level up.
Assumption #3: It would be beneficial to players if characters leveled up at dramatically appropriate points in the story, i.e. you learn that wicked new spell right before going to face the evil big bad guy.
So why not do this: players discuss with the gamemaster how they’d like to level up. Talk about what skills, powers, abilities, whatever, they want the character to gain. The gamemaster than builds the ability to level up into the game, introducing NPC teachers and quests and whatever else might be an interesting way for the character to advance. Then, at appropriate points in the story, the gamemaster declares it a done deal. You know this spell. You gain that feat. You add ranks to that skills. Whatever.
Furthermore, you don’t have to do all of this at once! Instead of leveling up and getting a whole slew of stuff all at once, you get a little something every adventure or two… or three… or at whatever pace is appropriate to the game you’re playing.
This is how I think of it: experience points are like a gift. You can only spend it in certain places and in certain ways. It’s a reward. Instead of giving a gift card, why not get them what they really want, what they’re going to buy with the gift card anyway?
Someone out there is thinking, “but how do you level up all characters equitably”. That’s a whole other tirade coming up in the near future. Stay tuned.
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