So, I'm running a pathfinder-converted Age of Worms book, and I'm still confused on doling out XP. So far I've been looking at the encounter CR and getting the experience from the Gamemastering CR->XP thing, then using the Fast experience track for character advancement. There's got to be a better way.
Flagged the other thread as a double-post.
It sounds like you're running this in the normal way. What's going wrong? If it's too much of a pain, consider ditching the xp and just eyeballing it. Here James Jacobs provides the info you need.
Alright, if that's the normal way then that'll work just fine. I just wasn't quite certain, as I didn't have any info on what the normal way is. ^^; All I've got are the converted enemy stat sheets and the old campaign pdf. Thank you for affirming that it was the right way though, and thanks for the link. ^_^
The basic technique:
1. Take the total XP for each encounter.
2. Divide it by each PC.
3. Dole it out.
Right, so.
I'm necro-ing this thread to make sure I'm still doing this right. My players have just finished book two, and their XP total is 13,300, putting them halfway to level six on the fast xp track.
The encounters are still challenging the party, but I worry that they're leveling much faster than the adventure anticipated, due to the fact that they're short-manning the adventure with five people instead of six, and thus getting more experience.
Does this seem right, to be almost level six going into Blackwall Keep?
Alrighty.
Er, I think.
My concerns were that, since Age of Worms was designed for a six person party, that running it with five would level the party too quickly. For example, supposing that, for simplicity's sake, the party starts at level one and beats ten CR2 encounters. A party of five would be at 1500 experience, and Level 2. A party of six, though, as paizo likely planned for, would still be level one at 1000 experience. I'm not /immensely/ worried since you said that it sounds about right, but I'll likely be posting back in this thread again to check back once we're a few more books in.
I am running it with 3.5 rules (where xp rewards drop if your level goes up too much) and my five-person party reached level 6 at the end of book three, as it is supposed to. I would certainly fudge a bit with xp if possible, to keep them at about tht level, as I felt even at the rate we were going, AoW is not always challenging. Battle for blackwell keep is a walk-over unless players have no sense of crowd control, for instance.
The encounters are still challenging the party, but I worry that they're leveling much faster than the adventure anticipated, due to the fact that they're short-manning the adventure with five people instead of six, and thus getting more experience.
The encounters are designed for a four-person party, so no, they definitely aren't short-manning it. Blackwall Keep is a fifth-level adventure. You may end needing to upgrade the encounters a bit just to keep up with a larger party of Pathfinder characters (Pathfinder PCs are way more powerful than ordinary 3.5 PCs), but with regards to XP, your main concern will be keeping them from falling behind. Which, given the bumps from numbers and system, will probably just even the field even if it does happen.
BTW interesting to see the difference between a koboldcleaver and a kobold cleaver so clearly illustrated :-)
I'm using the medium xp track in a PF game we're beginning The Champion's Belt next week and the PC's just made 7th level. They're challenged.