So if you were playing xp progression would you allow your players to buy level 2. It costs 96 gp to buy enough mules to reach level 2. I have a player who is playing a druid and said it would make more sense for his character who lived in the wild to have hunted and instead of starting wealth asked if he could do this. He plans on playing a I hate the city type who doesn't want material possession unless it's from nature made himself. Would you allow someone to do this?
To be honest... it's a waste. We had a small party so I gave them some extra XP to boost them a bit. The issue is that due to the quickly expanding thresholds...he'll be a level ahead for like one session, then due to the large thresholds, he'll never really see any benefit from his investment. If he really wants to, sure, go ahead. He'll be OP for one session, then find that he's skint for nothing thereafter.
I'd recommend that he use that money to buy something else that will be a buff for longer. Or a spell scroll that will help him out of a tight pinch. Or bribing people to avoid combat...something that he'll remember more than "remember when that one session I was level 2 instead of level 1?".
The other issue is that he could easily end up ruining the experience for his teammates because it is a big jump up from L1 to L2. Factor that into how insistent you are that does something more fun with his funds than buying a level.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Creatures aren't just bags of XP that you pick up after killing them like a video game. The XP comes from the life lessons and tactics (aka "experience") learned from the encounter. Slaughtering anything helpless would yield zero xp.
And IMHO all campaigns should start at level 1. How you play a character at level 1 shapes how the character is played throughout its entire adventuring career. A first level character is far more likely to think of creative ways to handle encounters besides just hacking everything with a sword or frying it with fire (since they know a single hit can kill them). Also, it gives the player a chance to 'build up' their character and evolve them (character development) as they start their career as the little fish in the pond, then progress gaining more abilities until finally becoming the bigger fish.
It also cuts down on some of the munchkin builds. If everyone knows they need to play thru each level, they'll be far less likely to build a character that only makes sense once it reaches 17th level (for example). A build that doesn't get any ability score adjustments or feats because the character changes classes every 2-3 levels will quickly learn that they are less effective in most encounters if they have to play it up from level one (instead of just starting at level 10 when their build finally benefits from the abilities all four of their classes).
They are welcome to have that character, but pay your dues thru the lower levels. If they still want to do it, they'll enjoy it more.
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Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
Start at level 1. There is no way to "buy" experience. I have played in several campaigns that have gone to level 20 and all started at level 1. We laughed so hard one session when a single poison spider almost took out our party of six in the first encounter for new characters after the ones we had just quit were killing gods.
And IMHO all campaigns should start at level 1. How you play a character at level 1 shapes how the character is played throughout its entire adventuring career. A first level character is far more likely to think of creative ways to handle encounters besides just hacking everything with a sword or frying it with fire (since they know a single hit can kill them). Also, it gives the player a chance to 'build up' their character and evolve them (character development) as they start their career as the little fish in the pond, then progress gaining more abilities until finally becoming the bigger fish.
I just started a campaign and the DM started us at level 0 - it made us think about who our characters were BEFORE they became adventures. WHY they became adventurers. And he did it specifically so the bad guys could do some stuff to motivate us without us thinking "oh we need to fight them." Only then did we gain Level 1. And in our first encounter we were outnumbered so we used the age-old strategy: RUN!
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"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Start at level 1. There is no way to "buy" experience. I have played in several campaigns that have gone to level 20 and all started at level 1. We laughed so hard one session when a single poison spider almost took out our party of six in the first encounter for new characters after the ones we had just quit were killing gods.
Honestly, there may be nothing more fun in the game than the whiplash you get by building characters up to level 20, then restarting a new campaign with the same group of players down at level 1
I went from playing a barb/rogue multiclass with over 200 points AND Evasion/Uncanny Dodge... to a level 1 rogue who nearly got taken out by a couple of mean birds
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
So if you were playing xp progression would you allow your players to buy level 2. It costs 96 gp to buy enough mules to reach level 2. I have a player who is playing a druid and said it would make more sense for his character who lived in the wild to have hunted and instead of starting wealth asked if he could do this. He plans on playing a I hate the city type who doesn't want material possession unless it's from nature made himself. Would you allow someone to do this?
As HarmAssassin said, killing a tame mule that isn't putting up a fight shouldn't be worth any xp
I would also have a side discussion with that player about what they think the point of the game is and how they view their character, because a druid who claims to love nature but then kills tame animals for "experience" is hella sketchy, to say the least
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Creatures aren't just bags of XP that you pick up after killing them like a video game. The XP comes from the life lessons and tactics (aka "experience") learned from the encounter. Slaughtering anything helpless would yield zero xp.
On the flipside this could be a humorous worldbuilding with various adventurers working in slaughterhouses to gain experience. Just imagine a wizard being, "I need to read better. Time to go kill some pigs again."
Or the villager butcher being the strongest NPC of them all.
When the Royal Australian Army declared war on the emus, it did not turn out as they expected. The only way I would allow the slaughter proposed by OP’s player to award XP would be if the intended victims cried havoc and let slip the donkeys of war, like the emus did in 1932. Otherwise, as VitusW mentioned, butchers would all be the most powerful person in any village or town in the countryside and level 20 before too long.
So if you were playing xp progression would you allow your players to buy level 2. It costs 96 gp to buy enough mules to reach level 2. I have a player who is playing a druid and said it would make more sense for his character who lived in the wild to have hunted and instead of starting wealth asked if he could do this. He plans on playing a I hate the city type who doesn't want material possession unless it's from nature made himself. Would you allow someone to do this?
No. Though I think unless you are running with very new players, it doesn't make much sense to start at level 1.
To be honest... it's a waste. We had a small party so I gave them some extra XP to boost them a bit. The issue is that due to the quickly expanding thresholds...he'll be a level ahead for like one session, then due to the large thresholds, he'll never really see any benefit from his investment. If he really wants to, sure, go ahead. He'll be OP for one session, then find that he's skint for nothing thereafter.
I'd recommend that he use that money to buy something else that will be a buff for longer. Or a spell scroll that will help him out of a tight pinch. Or bribing people to avoid combat...something that he'll remember more than "remember when that one session I was level 2 instead of level 1?".
The other issue is that he could easily end up ruining the experience for his teammates because it is a big jump up from L1 to L2. Factor that into how insistent you are that does something more fun with his funds than buying a level.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Creatures aren't just bags of XP that you pick up after killing them like a video game. The XP comes from the life lessons and tactics (aka "experience") learned from the encounter. Slaughtering anything helpless would yield zero xp.
And IMHO all campaigns should start at level 1. How you play a character at level 1 shapes how the character is played throughout its entire adventuring career. A first level character is far more likely to think of creative ways to handle encounters besides just hacking everything with a sword or frying it with fire (since they know a single hit can kill them). Also, it gives the player a chance to 'build up' their character and evolve them (character development) as they start their career as the little fish in the pond, then progress gaining more abilities until finally becoming the bigger fish.
It also cuts down on some of the munchkin builds. If everyone knows they need to play thru each level, they'll be far less likely to build a character that only makes sense once it reaches 17th level (for example). A build that doesn't get any ability score adjustments or feats because the character changes classes every 2-3 levels will quickly learn that they are less effective in most encounters if they have to play it up from level one (instead of just starting at level 10 when their build finally benefits from the abilities all four of their classes).
They are welcome to have that character, but pay your dues thru the lower levels. If they still want to do it, they'll enjoy it more.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
Start at level 1. There is no way to "buy" experience. I have played in several campaigns that have gone to level 20 and all started at level 1. We laughed so hard one session when a single poison spider almost took out our party of six in the first encounter for new characters after the ones we had just quit were killing gods.
I just started a campaign and the DM started us at level 0 - it made us think about who our characters were BEFORE they became adventures. WHY they became adventurers. And he did it specifically so the bad guys could do some stuff to motivate us without us thinking "oh we need to fight them." Only then did we gain Level 1. And in our first encounter we were outnumbered so we used the age-old strategy: RUN!
"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Honestly, there may be nothing more fun in the game than the whiplash you get by building characters up to level 20, then restarting a new campaign with the same group of players down at level 1
I went from playing a barb/rogue multiclass with over 200 points AND Evasion/Uncanny Dodge... to a level 1 rogue who nearly got taken out by a couple of mean birds
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
As HarmAssassin said, killing a tame mule that isn't putting up a fight shouldn't be worth any xp
I would also have a side discussion with that player about what they think the point of the game is and how they view their character, because a druid who claims to love nature but then kills tame animals for "experience" is hella sketchy, to say the least
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
On the flipside this could be a humorous worldbuilding with various adventurers working in slaughterhouses to gain experience. Just imagine a wizard being, "I need to read better. Time to go kill some pigs again."
Or the villager butcher being the strongest NPC of them all.
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Tell them if their level 1 character can stand in the middle of a herd of all the mules and take them in one encounter, they can have the level.
When the Royal Australian Army declared war on the emus, it did not turn out as they expected. The only way I would allow the slaughter proposed by OP’s player to award XP would be if the intended victims cried havoc and let slip the donkeys of war, like the emus did in 1932. Otherwise, as VitusW mentioned, butchers would all be the most powerful person in any village or town in the countryside and level 20 before too long.
Classic! Druids care not for charity