New House Rules for DF, Option II

Here is another option under consideration for new XP rules for my DF game.

XP House Rules Proposal II: Double Down on Loot

Base XP for a session is 1 xp.

Loot - Gaining sufficient loot to reach your threshold - $200 each, to start, is the expected basis of XP.

Loot 5x or more than your threshold: 5 xp
Loot 1x or more than your threshold: 4 xp
Loot less than your threshold: 2 xp
Loot 1/5 of less than your threshold: -1 xp

Minimum xp for loot is -1, maximum is 5 xp. (Average expected is 4 xp)

Exploration - No or almost no exploration is -1 xp. Minor or unexceptional exploration is 0 xp. Finding an clearing major or significant areas of the dungeon or sandbox may result in a bonus of 1-2 xp (1 xp, generally, but 2 xp if it's a significant advancement in terms of exploration.)

Minimum xp for exploration is -1 xp, maximum is 2 xp (average expected is 0)

Character Deaths - +1 for a clean run where everyone comes back alive or gets Resurrected or laid to rest. Otherwise, no effect on XP. Lost companions may cause Roleplaying losses (if you're a Sense of Duty type, have a Code of Honor, have an Ally who dies) but don't otherwise affect losses.*

Minimum 0, maximum 1 xp. Average expected is 0.

Roleplaying, Awesome Bonus, MVP - unchanged.

The idea here is that loot provides wider swings. Character losses are expected, although if you can get everyone back alive you're up a point. If you come back with everyone, did a little exploration, and found your threshold in loot, you're at 5 xp (same as right now, actually, for the same things.) If you mess around and play it safe and no one gets hurt and no one gets any loot, you have 1.

So those missions where people run in, look at stuff, run home with a few pieces of salvaged junk worth $10 to each of them - 0 points. +1 for everyone alive, 0 for loot, -1 for no significant exploration. I kind of like that. A mega run where you find a new major area, whack a rich monster or two, and come back with everyone can net you 7 points . . . 6 if some people get killed off, back to 7 if you get them back to life or properly buried (no clause in this version for "fell down a bottomless pit" or "burned with the wights so they don't come back" or "but I Zombie'd him to help us!"


So that's another idea for XP in my game.

* Killing your friends off to maximum your personal loot is technically okay, but try getting invited back to game after that.