Experience Points for Gold

This blog post is over 10 years late. When the online group of people who rediscovered old school gaming began exchanging ideas, I held back. It was pretty clear a lot of dogma was taking root. Not among everyone, but dogma and its pushback dominated a lot of the blogosphere for years. Since then, most OSR blogs have gone quiet, as discussion moved to other platforms. I had read some of the blogs, but had no interest in the G+ platforms and other social circle stuff.

A lot of the dogma then and since has metastasized to one-true-wayism, even among those with good intentions. That is probably gist for another post. This post is about one aspect of that dogma.

Experience points for gold pieces.

It was a cornerstone of AD&D, and its roots in the game go further back, to Book 1: Men & Magic. Even there the treasure a monster had was worth more than the monster itself. But like so many old rules, it kinda fails my logic test.

Specifically: A fighter can kill 100 orcs in single combat, and not go up a level; but he can find a chest with 2500 gold pieces, and go up a level.

Actually fighting a number of opponents does not make you a better warrior; stealing money does.

Now I read all kinds of rationalizations for it, and some come close to making sense. but none can overcome that simple absurdity. So in my games, combat victories are worth a lot more experience points than they “officially” are. I have always given XP for discoveries, or role playing thresholds (like finally whacking the villain that has been hounding you for several sessions). And yes, some for money, especially for Thieves.

But I try to hew closer to my sword & sorcery roots, and playing a barbarian in combat is a lot more interesting and thrilling than fleeing down a corridor with a bag of gold. That can be exciting, but is hardly the basis for Conan or Kane.

Your mileage may vary, of course; the whole point of earlier editions of the game (ostensibly before being codified as AD&D) was to make the game yours. There has been a lot of dogma that while acknowledging that on the surface, goes on to show how you are doing it wrong.

Someday I might challenge some of this orthodoxy by quoting some well-known passages in the OSR and demonstrating inherent flaws. But maybe that is kinda petty, and maybe some people want or even need those guidelines for play, and it empowers them as Old School. Many obviously enjoy the commonly accepted view of what Old School is, and that is cool.

I’ll probably just keep being a counterpoint voice in the wilderness. But don’t be afraid to take rules and bend them the way you want, and don’t think you are doing it wrong because your playstyle differs from the commonly accepted paradigm! Let it evolve as you and your group desire.

More content soon! I have read several books and am thinking of reviews, but it has become a little more difficult. I am finding problems even in good works that are affecting my enjoyment of them, and I am not sure whether to bring it up or let it go. Maybe I should do a post with a bunch of capsule reviews. Everybody gets a participation medal! Maybe i am being too critical. Maybe I just need to make another comic!