A quick search of the 3.5DMG shows XP in a number of places.
EXPERIENCE AWARDS
When the party defeats monsters, you award the characters experience points (XP). The more dangerous the monsters, compared to the party’s level, the more XP the characters earn. The PCs split the XP between themselves, and each character increases in level as his or her personal XP total increases.
Just an example :)
Pathfinder did not change this.
- Gauss
I blame WOW!
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EXP -> Eks Pee -> X P
Greg
It never really bothered me, I've seen both abbreviations used in the past before in various games.
I don't think this matters I know what both mean.
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Besides that. XP/EXP/Experience Points died with the new Item Creation/Spell component rules in PF.
NOTHING uses XP anymore. Its a dated un-needed component of the game. DM's can simply award a new level when they feel the group has earned one or the Module/Homebrew Game calls for it.
I recall that even in old Japanese RPG games XP was used before I got to play D&D. Honestly, I don't recall ever seeing "EXP" now.
Dragonamedrake: Some GMs still hand out individualized XP awards for good Roleplay, bringing food, etc. Even some of those GMs that hand out levels instead of experience (such as myself) need experience as a metric to know when players are close to leveling.
- Gauss
It's called XP 'cause you're supposed to get it as if it's Xmas!
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Dragonamedrake: Some GMs still hand out individualized XP awards for good Roleplay, bringing food, etc. Even some of those GMs that hand out levels instead of experience (such as myself) need experience as a metric to know when players are close to leveling.
- Gauss
I give out token chips, if you get enough you get another draw from the harrow deck (using harrow deck rules from carrion crown.). A substitution would be for hero points, or. Onus faction prestiege.
Chips (which I represent with little plastic skulls) are given for: bring food (bonusif it is healthy:). Taking initiative, or treasure, quality acting in character, charter acting all heroic, or most recently character surviving against all odds.
Basically anything bonus xp would have gone out for.
Good system Galnorag. Hero points can be given out for similar things if you use the Hero Point system.
- Gauss
Besides that. XP/EXP/Experience Points died with the new Item Creation/Spell component rules in PF.
NOTHING uses XP anymore. Its a dated un-needed component of the game. DM's can simply award a new level when they feel the group has earned one or the Module/Homebrew Game calls for it.
GMs always had the power to do that. I had a DM do that for us back in 1984. What's your point?
As far as I can tell, the rules still use XP to level up. Our group is using the system with all the anticipation of getting XP at the end of a session as ever.
You might consider that even if you think XP is nerfed by the item creation rules, relatively few people actually use those rules. Most players buy or find magic items. So it's sort of like being the only guy in the whole town who wanted to buy motor oil from the supermarket and shouting that the store is ruined because they got rid of the automotive repair aisle. The rest of us still need milk and Cheerios, thanks.
As to the OP's question, I remember XP as an abbreviation in some materials for D&D going as far back as 1st Edition.
I still use it my campaigns that I GM for and the others that I am in with the same groups of friends still use XP but on occasion we will throw in xp bonuses for food or a really good joke that kinda thing, but we still use standard xp for encounters both combat and storyline and leveling and such.
The term XP has been around as long as D&D itself. It's been used since at least 1st edition, and probably original D&D before that.
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The term XP has been around as long as D&D itself. It's been used since at least 1st edition, and probably original D&D before that.
A quick look in the 1976 boxed set rulebook didn't turn up the abbreviation. I did see "G.P." (not GP) used as an abbreviation for Gold Pieces, but I only spotted "Experience Points" spelled out in full.
The AD&D1 Dungeon Master's Guide, though, does use the abbreviation "XP". So by 1979 at the latest the term was already well established.
The "E" becomes extraneous when you say it out loud. Most people are going to says "EXP" as "eks-p", they're going to say "Eks-Pee". Besides being hard to say, it will more-than-likely sound like they're simply saying "X". So if what you're saying sounds like two letters, why bother writing down more than two?
Also, while many abbreviations do start with the letters of the original word, there is no rule in the english language that says they have to.
If the core rules don't do it that way, can it really be called "proper"?
There is very little 'proper way' in the English language anymore. Take the word color or is it colour? Which is proper? Depends on what your nationality is. English is a fractured language and it is only getting worse.
However, if you think 'proper way' is via D&D, I refer you to the above posters who have shown that XP has been one 'proper way' ever since 1st edition.
- Gauss
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There is very little 'proper way' in the English language anymore. Take the word color or is it colour? Which is proper? Depends on what your nationality is. English is a fractured language and it is only getting worse.
However, if you think 'proper way' is via D&D, I refer you to the above posters who have shown that XP has been one 'proper way' ever since 1st edition.
- Gauss
Obviously, the 'proper way' is colour. It is the English language, after all, so the English are the ones who determine its spelling, grammer and rules. Naturally, this should apply to everything else given the nation's clear superiority, but sadly some people just will not listen to reason and accept their place as subjects of Her Majesty's glorious Empire.
Tally-ho
ROFLMAO. We amerikuns have a saying: GET OUT! Its our country and our language now! ;)
(P.S. Yes, I know how to spell Americans)
- Gauss
I'm neither from America nor from Great Britain, but I prefer colour as it's closer to couleur (french).
Anyhow I use Exp, as it's short for Experience. If even in spoken english you just use the abbreviation, or if you don't know what it stands for, I can understand the use of XP, but it reminds me too much of a damned windows version.
@JohnF, as Captan Brittannica said, when the English say grammer, it's grammer. They need to have something that they're good at, it's not cooking, and it doesn't seem to be organising world famous sports events.
There is no rule in the English language about the "proper" way to abbreviate.
"LAX" stands for Los Angeles International Airport. Where does the "X" come from? My guess would the word "eXchange".
The U.S. Postal service has their own, preferred abbreviations for each state that has everything to do with ease of recognition and nothing to with any sort of grammatical propriety.
So, again, there is no proper way to abbreviate. There is simply what is conventional.
"XP" is the conventional way to abbreviate "Experience Points".
There is no rule in the English language about the "proper" way to abbreviate.
"LAX" stands for Los Angeles International Airport. Where does the "X" come from? My guess would the word "eXchange".
The U.S. Postal service has their own, preferred abbreviations for each state that has everything to do with ease of recognition and nothing to with any sort of grammatical propriety.
So, again, there is no proper way to abbreviate. There is simply what is conventional.
"XP" is the conventional way to abbreviate "Experience Points".
Irrelevant digression:
As for LAX- unless I'm badly mistaken all US airports have a 3 letter abbreviation.. and LA grew the X rather randomly. It used to just be LA but when they went 3 letter rather than 2, they tacked it on extra.
Besides that. XP/EXP/Experience Points died with the new Item Creation/Spell component rules in PF.
NOTHING uses XP anymore. Its a dated un-needed component of the game. DM's can simply award a new level when they feel the group has earned one or the Module/Homebrew Game calls for it.
Ironically, I skipped 3rd edition.
2nd edition NEVER used xp for creation... so hearing that it 'died' because they changed a function that I had never heard of is a bit laughable.
because it sounds more xtreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeme!
"LAX" stands for Los Angeles International Airport. Where does the "X" come from? My guess would the word "eXchange".
The Orlando International Airport is MCO.
There is actually a legitimate historical reason for this, but it's funnier if I let people try to figure it out.
"LAX" stands for Los Angeles International Airport. Where does the "X" come from? My guess would the word "eXchange".The Orlando International Airport is MCO.
There is actually a legitimate historical reason for this, but it's funnier if I let people try to figure it out.
I know that one, used to live in Orlando. ;)
I've hated that since I started playing Everquest way back in the day.
I have a friend who still says EXP because of his time spent playing FFXI, and it bugs me. The "E" is xtraneous! :D
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Most of the games I've played it XP was fairly fast and loose. And when I DM, I usually just establish milestones at which levels happen (the few times I tried to use XP RAW I always ended up making things WAAAAAY too complicated for myself). Generally I would reward good roleplaying in other ways, depending on the situation (wealth, character favors, hero points, etc.)
As for why it's not EXP, because it's one more letter that's not strictly necessary. But, hey, knock yourself out. Everyone will still know what you mean if you use EXP.
experimental project
