d20: Tracking Experience with Character Points (CP) (updated 2003/07/18)

In this variant, characters gain levels by earning Character Points (CP) rather than XP. 1st-level characters start with 10 CP, and gain a new level each time they gain an additional 10 CP. Thus, the level of a character can be easily determined by dividing his total CP by 10 and rounding down. For example, a 50 CP character is 5th level, and so is a 59 CP character.

CP are awarded by the DM at the end of each game session, normally 1-2 CP per character per session. The rationale is simple--in most game sessions, the DM attempts to provide encounters (both roleplaying and combat) that challenge the party appropriate to their level and capabilities. The DM need only rate the challenge of the session on a small 0-3 point scale.

At an average 1.5 CP per game rate characters will gain a new level every 7 game sessions. The DM can easily adjust the CP awarded in a variety of ways, for example:

• Grant 0-1 CP after a relatively uneventful or short game session, 1-2 for a typical session, 2 for a very eventful or challenging session, or 3 CP if the session was epic.
• Reward completion of quests with bonus CP.
• Reward roleplaying (in or out of game) with bonus CP.
• Keep NPC's in the background by granting NPC's at least 1 CP fewer than PC's earn per session. The same applies to PC's whose player is absent but were played by the DM as an NPC. If a character was not involved in the story at all, no CP should be awarded. This should not reduce their CP earned per session to less than 1.
• Accelerate the lower level characters and slow down the higher level characters. If the party members are not all of the same level, the DM may at his option re-balance their levels by adjusting CP awards. This may sound harsh, but the higher level characters are being slowed down by the novices, although the novices are benefiting greatly from the tutelage of their elders. Simply grant the highest level character (or multiple tied characters) 1 fewer CP per session. Grant the lowest level character (or multiple tied characters) 1 bonus CP per session. Eventually the party levels will equalize, at which point this adjustment of CP rewards has accomplished its purpose and is no longer necessary. NPC's should be eligible for this bonus, but only as long as they are at least two levels lower than any PC.

Optionally, the DM can allow CP to be used in other ways than gaining levels. CP spent in these ways would be lost, and not count towards level progression. (However, they should still count towards total character level when modifying CP awards based on level.) Here are a few examples:

• Increase the power of a Heroic Item.
• Gain an extra skill, or minor ability.
• Exchange for XP to cast spells or create magic items that require XP as a component. When doing so, burning 1 CP gives the character a pool of 100*Level XP to spend.

Level Loss

If a character loses a level for any reason he is not set back to XP at the midpoint of his previous level, but rather he simply loses 10 CP.

Rationale:

This is a variant experience system intended to address the following issues with the standard Experience Point (XP) rules:

• Calculating XP from challenge rating (CR) and character levels is time consuming. This is particularly true if the DM wishes to grant a higher amount of XP to lower-level characters so that they can catch up with the rest of the party. Rewards are best given immediately, yet, the time required to calculate XP typically prevents the DM from providing XP at the end of each game session.
• Roleplaying deserves the same attention as combat. This is possible using the standard XP system, however, extremely arbitrary.
• Often, it is better for the story if the characters avoid an encounter. However, this behavior is not rewarded appropriately by the standard XP system.
• Calculating XP from encounters is error-prone, because it is easy to forget about a particular encounter after a full session of gaming.
• The CR's for many monsters are inaccurate. In addition, adding class levels, magic items, or environmental factors can result in encounters far more difficult to particular character parties than the CR seems to indicate.
• The overall challenge of the encounter is not taken into consideration, only the challenge of each individual monster. An 11th level character fighting a 99 1st level vampire sorcerers would have no hope of victory, yet, if he did somehow prevail he would receive 0 XP since they are only CR 3.