Experience
Player progression is measured by levelling-up, and the means through which players level-up is by earning experience points (XP). As referee it is your job to reward XP, and to know the whens and whys thereof.
There are two primary means of obtaining XP: 1) win treasure in a place of danger 2) overcome enemies in an encounter; both methods explained in greater detail below.
Retrieving Treasure
To "win treasure in a place of danger" means that treasure was obtained while adventuring or doing something adventurous. Coin gained by robbing an old woman at knife-point hones no skill and thus rewards no XP. Coin gained by pick-pocketing a troll is a feat which displays considerable skill and bravery, and thus rewards the character XP. Any treasure found in a dungeon rewards XP, as the dungeon is a place of immense and ever-present peril.
| Coin | XP |
|---|---|
| 12 d | 1 xp |
| 1 s | 1 xp |
| 1 l | 20 xp |
Overcoming Enemies
To "overcome enemies in an encounter" includes slaying opponents in a fierce combat, but cleverly evading one's pursuers, or nonlethally overpowering a foe also rewards XP. The amount of XP rewarded from an encounter is dependant on the foes defeated. Each monster grants an amount of XP dependant on its hit-dice (see table below).
Some monsters possess special abilities which increase their XP value. Said abilities are indicated by asterisks following the monster's HD rating.
Monsters whose HD are notated as a number of hit-dice plus a fixed hit-point bonus are more powerful and are listed separately in the table.
XP Reward for Defeated Monsters
| Monster HD | Base XP | Bonus XP/ Ability |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 5 | 1 |
| 1 | 10 | 3 |
| 1+ | 15 | 5 |
| 2 | 20 | 7 |
| 2+ | 25 | 9 |
| 3 | 30 | 11 |
| 3+ | 35 | 13 |
| 4 | 40 | 15 |
| 4+ | 45 | 17 |
| 5 | 50 | 19 |
| 5+ | 55 | 21 |
| 6 | 60 | 23 |
| 6+ | 65 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 27 |
| 7+ | 75 | 29 |
| 8 | 80 | 31 |
| 8+ | 85 | 33 |
Division of Experience
The XP rewards for coin retrieved and foes defeated are totalled and distributed evenly between all surviving characters, including non-player companions. Awarded XP is always divided evenly, irrespective of how the treasure is divided.
The referee may see fit to grant bonus XP to those players who went above-and-beyond, and to penalise those who shirked their fair-share.
Level Advancement
While experience points are earnt in places of peril, reflective of the literal experience gained through adventuring, the actual advancement of levels does not occur immediately after players reach the XP threshold. Rather, the party must return to town, or some other safe place to level-up.