I tend to not give awards for each individual encounter, but give them for playing "in character" and for completing mission goals. I find that this makes for a more realistic flow to the game. My reason for this is that I have never in my life found that I became more powerful after winning a fight in fact the two times I was unlucky enough to get into a fight shortly after fighting someone else not only was I not better prepared for the next combat,if anything I was at even more of a disadvantage truthfully I do not know anyone who can say otherwise.Any thughts on this?
I tend to not give awards for each individual encounter, but give them for playing "in character" and for completing mission goals. I find that this makes for a more realistic flow to the game. My reason for this is that I have never in my life found that I became more powerful after winning a fight in fact the two times I was unlucky enough to get into a fight shortly after fighting someone else not only was I not better prepared for the next combat,if anything I was at even more of a disadvantage truthfully I do not know anyone who can say otherwise.Any thughts on this?
Game-term speaking... You were disadvantaged in the second fight because you were probably low on hit points. When you fight someone, you gain confidence or, at least, knowlegde that you have the guts to stand up to him (or her). That knowledge is power.
I knew this guy at my old high school who was a little under five feet tall, not that muscular and untrained in the martial arts. He would pick fights against the biggest, toughest looking goons in the school. He was probably more experienced; He knew what a knuckle sadwich tasted like, and didn't mind. Now that's scarry. We probably all gained experience points just by looking at him fight these guys.
Ultradan
I tend to not give awards for each individual encounter, but give them for playing "in character" and for completing mission goals. I find that this makes for a more realistic flow to the game. My reason for this is that I have never in my life found that I became more powerful after winning a fight in fact the two times I was unlucky enough to get into a fight shortly after fighting someone else not only was I not better prepared for the next combat,if anything I was at even more of a disadvantage truthfully I do not know anyone who can say otherwise.Any thughts on this?
Hmmm... based on my own experiences training in Western Martial Arts, I certainly feel as though I learn something from each fight I have and each practice I attend. I'm constantly researching manuals, going over things, putting them into practice, experimenting with moves, trying to make things work-- ever day spent training brings minor improvement. Each tournament is a learning experience as well.
I think that people who seriously study a martial art of any kind will agree with this-- the reason, as you say, that you don't feel "more powerful" after a fight is that, in game terms, a person will very rarely actually gain anything from more XP. They level up infrequently, but gain experience constantly. Sudden big XP rewards is probably less realistic, as growth is gradual.
Moving back to real life, if I'm trying to perfect a specific move, that takes time. Suddenly it clicks and I can get it to work time and again, and it's like gaining a feat or level or whatever. I now have a new ability, whereas beforehand I was training for it.
If you want to be realistic, you might want to consider having your PCs declare ahead of time what feat, spells, and skills they intend to gain at the NEXT level, so when they gain them it is more like they've been trying to learn it over time.
If you want to be realistic, you might want to consider having your PCs declare ahead of time what feat, spells, and skills they intend to gain at the NEXT level, so when they gain them it is more like they've been trying to learn it over time.
Actually, I think it's written somewhere (either in the Player's Handbook or the DM's Guide) that your character actually trains continually during missions, it's just not said (as is going to the bathroom).
As with you practicing a move to get it right, the Fighter will be fighting his shadow and practicing by himself during off-time (be it while camping by the fire in the woods or during his guard shift in a dungeon). When he goes up a level, and the layer chooses a feat, it finally "clicks" and the fighter can now use his new feat.
That's how we explain the automatic level rise in the middle of a dungeon. And it goes the same with spellcasters, who continually study on how to cast those new spells until they go up a level.
Ultradan
I tend to not give awards for each individual encounter, but give them for playing "in character" and for completing mission goals. I find that this makes for a more realistic flow to the game. My reason for this is that I have never in my life found that I became more powerful after winning a fight in fact the two times I was unlucky enough to get into a fight shortly after fighting someone else not only was I not better prepared for the next combat,if anything I was at even more of a disadvantage truthfully I do not know anyone who can say otherwise.Any thughts on this?
Whether or not it's apparent, and unless you're dead, you always learn something of value from a dramatic or drastic experience. As in real life events, toons always learn...
So, how do I handle it? Working toward a careful balance between activities and role-play, I grant XP for both...each grant depends on the actions and the RP.
Example: NG Fighter-type gets his butt kicked in an alleyway mugging. While he lost coin and has some scars, he's learned to be more wary when walking down these sorts of "avenues" and learned some melee tactics related to knife-fighting and taking on multiple opponents. And, in the fight he managed to keep the muggers from icing an innocent bystander.
For XP, I'd grant him some for the combat and such, with a plus for playing his character. He'd also get a small coin amount from the Innocent Bystander who happens to be a merchant on the way to the moneychanger. If he happens to level from this, then sobeit.
Stillfoxx
"Live or die, you decide..."