On XP and Leveling in OSR Games

    One of the defining features of OSR games is how they handle gaining experience (XP) and levelling up. XP, which is the tool used to pace character growth, has a an enormous amount of sway in influencing how people interact with the game. Normally, OSR games make the primary source of XP treasure recovered from monsters or dungeons. Actually killing monsters is considered secondary, if it even gives XP at all.

    The method of play that this pushes disincentivizes fighting monsters, since it is horribly dangerous and doesn't give great rewards, but also heavy incentivizes diving into dungeons and other locations that would have them because that is where treasure is found. 

    Compare that with a modern game like 5E, which either does XP by monster or by milestone. The implications of handing out XP primarily/solely based on defeated monster are pretty obvious in what they would incentivize. Milestone progression, however, entirely cuts away the XP mechanic. This cuts away any real focus on training your character or working to improve them, and instead pushes players to interact with the story which is now the agent by which they progress. It effectively cuts out a motivation which forces people to instead roleplay why they want stuff more. Some people appreciate this, but others feel it is a hamfisted approach. Either way, though, it leans into the more story based style of play 5E wants.

    Anyway, going back to the OSR design space, there tends to be one very popular method of handling XP that I am dubbing the AD&D Standard.  In this system, the different classes require different amounts of XP to level up, though they increase at similar rates. This is generally used as a balancing tool to prevent powerful classes (Magic-Users) from ramping up in power too quickly while also giving a buff to more limited or mundane classes.

(A quick side note, I had to search many RPGs for this and many of them made it inexplicably difficult to find out what they award XP for. My best guess why is that it's a thing that comes from people assuming OSR experience when writing this stuff.)

AD&D Standard

    This standard is pretty simple. In order to reach level 2, Fighters need 2,000 XP; Magic-Users need 2,500 XP; Clerics need 1,500 XP; and Thieves need 1,250 XP. Finally, treasure awards XP based on the gold piece value of what is recovered. Systems using this standard include:

• AD&D
• ACKS
• Hackmaster
• Labyrinth Lord*
• Swords & Wizardry
• And certainly others...

    Note: Labyrinth Lord uses this system, but has a few very small changes to XP requirements of Fighters (+35 XP to level) and clerics (+65 XP to level).

    It is also worth noting that I came across several systems that effectively use this system, but with a more significant change. 

Castles & Crusades, for example, is identical to the AD&D Standard, except that Clerics take 2,250 XP to level up and Wizards take 2,600 XP.

Whitehack uses this system, except that it rolls Clerics and Magic-Users together into their The Wise class, which takes 2,500 XP to level up. 

Basic Fantasy uses these standard values, but only awards XP for defeating monsters.

For Gold & Glory also uses these standard values, but only awards XP for being in and surviving dangerous situations, no matter what they may be.

OSRIC uses gold for XP, but instead monkeys around with the XP values slightly. Clerics take an additional 50 XP to level while Fighters and Magic-Users both take 100 XP less than normal to level up for the first time.

    Now, there is only one system I came across in my research which uses the ideas behind the AD&D Standard, but doesn't use it. That game is Lamentations of the Flame Princess (LotFP). This system ranks its classes similarly, but Fighters take 2,000 XP; Clerics take 1,750 XP; Magic-User's take 2,250 XP; and Specialists (Rogues/Thieves) take 1,500 XP. Also, LotFP doesn't use gold for XP, but instead uses silver for XP. 

    The entire LotFP system works on a "silver standard" as opposed to the normal "gold standard." Silver coins are assumed to be the common currency of the realm and they are what reward XP. This has several pros, including a more realistic setting and smaller amounts of treasure in player hands, but it does go contrary to most OSR assumptions and requires some adjustments when using pre-written content. It is really interesting, but out of the scope of this post, so I may come back to it in a future one.

    The AD&D standard is not the end-all-be-all of OSR games, however. Many people have issues with it and a variety of different systems have been implemented into different games. Here are a few interesting ones:

GLOG

    Yeah, I wasn't going to go far without talking about GLOG. It is popular within the OSR space, partially because it flouts a lot of the traditions of the genre without actually breaking away from being compatible. 

    By its nature GLOG is a little weird about how it handles levelling. The original rules, published on Goblin Punch, requires 2,000 XP to level up but rewards them based on recovered copper "cupreks," which sort of implies GLOG is meant to run on a copper standard? The rules published on Coins and Scrolls, which really fill out the rules and make it more complete, wants 200 XP to level up and ties its awarding to treasure recovered or 10% of purely frivolous spending, but neglects to name a currency standard for this.

    Considering Tomb of the Serpent Kings (a wonderful starting adventure) was written by the same person, and is paced assuming 200 gp is enough for someone to level, I assume Skerples' version of GLOG is intended to be on the gold standard. It does intrigue me, however, because I haven't seen advancement on that scale anywhere. I would love to hear about where this 200 XP came from, whether it be a system I haven't come across or a popular (or niche) houserule.

Black Hack

    Another staple RPG in the OSR scene, this one has a significant number of hacks of its own, though it presents a more complete game than GLOG does by default. 

    In this system, characters gain XP by having "experiences" which are enough to change them. Listed examples include completing quests, failing spectacularly, defeating a powerful named foe, or discovering a dungeon. Characters need to "share" a number of experiences equal to the next level in order to level up (level 2 takes 2 experiences, level 3 takes 3, etc.). In order to share an experience, characters have to go out carousing (partying) and players have to share a small snippet or story from their characters past, organically growing them as a character.

Knave

    A more niche RPG, from the Questing Beast blog, I personally find Knave really interesting. It has a very impressive set of tables to randomly generate a character for you and is a classless system. For levelling, characters can gain a level every 1,000 XP. The built in system for gaining XP is based on accomplishing things. Low-risk accomplishments are worth 50 XP, moderate-risk ones are worth 100 XP, and high-risk ones are worth 200 XP. Of course, story milestones or money-for-XP are also mentioned as different methods of gaining XP.

Castles & Crusades

    Surprised I am coming back to this one? While I have mentioned most of what is worth talking about with Castles & Crusades, it also is an example of a system which awards XP for successfully casting spells in its system, with higher level spells being worth more XP. 

    It is a neat system, and one that fits well into any system where magic can be dangerous or catastrophic, even when done under ideal conditions. 

Goblin Punch's Popcorn Leveling

    To finish this off, how about something truly unique. While this may not be a fully fleshed out system, Goblin Punch did come up with an interesting alternative method of level advancement. There are now items known as Treasures (distinct from normal treasure) which have a fixed value and don't do much. However, they can be exchanged for one party member levelling up at the end of the session. You can read the full details HERE

    It is a really interesting system, and would introduce a very unique dynamic into a system. Still, I don't think that I would use it as is. Perhaps in addition to a more traditional system.

    There are so many OSR systems and games that I know that I likely haven't gotten all that many listed here, but I do hope I have gotten a representative sample. The different ways XP and level progression is handled in games is surprisingly interesting, and something that is absolutely worth considering. Currently, I am leaning toward using something similar to the AD&D Standard, though perhaps I might do something closer to LotFP. I still need to think some more on it, and will probably make a post talking about what I have chosen and why.