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Old 03-10-2020, 09:14 AM   #11
ericthered
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

I tailor it to the campaign, but it's usually quite low: maybe five points for defeating a big bad over the course of ten two hour sessions.

I like "mature" heroes who don't experience massive power creep
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Old 03-10-2020, 09:22 AM   #12
Celjabba
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Luxembourg
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Looking at GCA for my 3 last campaigns, between 0 and 40...

More seriously, between 2-4 per game session (2 for a mundane, slow growth game, 4 for a cinematic game), plus sometimes (not always) 1-2 individual bonus cp for exceptional roleplaying, really funny joke, taking notes, ..

I subtract 1 if I judge the player acted out of character (ignoring disadvantages, ...)
If a player miss only 1 session, he still get the base cps.

An additional 5-10 bonus at the end of a chapter/story arc (from 3 to 10 session, it depends a lot).

In one campaign, I would only award cp in lump sums at chapters end, as it meant a timeskip. Which explain the 0 or 40 above.

And then, there are the direct awards, small social advantages mostly : especially access to a resource, reputations and favors, but rank, status, wealth increase / independent income, patron, ... have been known to happen.

The amount is very variable, I don't look at the point total for those.
Local language at broken after staying a while in an area, also.

Rarely a level in a skill, either an hobby/background skill or after a truly spectacular success.

For example, the player who took extensive notes and wrote an illustrated campaign journal got free raises in his character writing skill and a growing reputation as a renowned contemporary historian.
I offered him the choice between +1 cp/session or twice that in the writing skill, he choose the skill. I added the reputation for free.

Last edited by Celjabba; 03-10-2020 at 12:55 PM.
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Old 03-10-2020, 10:22 AM   #13
johndallman
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey View Post
Part of the reason why I'm considering it is to have a process like how Rune Quest handles improving skills, which the players like about that system.
This can lead to "tick-fishing," where the players try hard to use every possible skill, which can become silly.

An example in a friend's RQ campaign went "Sneak along the riverbank without alarming the fish (Move Quietly), spot the fish (Spot Hidden), leap into the river (Jumping) and attack with my maul (Heavy Maul)." After many tries over several sessions, he finally succeeded on all the skills, got a fish and all the ticks, and was firmly told not to be silly about this again.
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Old 03-10-2020, 10:29 AM   #14
Celjabba
 
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

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Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
This can lead to "tick-fishing," where the players try hard to use every possible skill, which can become silly.

An example in a friend's RQ campaign went "Sneak along the riverbank without alarming the fish (Move Quietly), spot the fish (Spot Hidden), leap into the river (Jumping) and attack with my maul (Heavy Maul)." After many tries over several sessions, he finally succeeded on all the skills, got a fish and all the ticks, and was firmly told not to be silly about this again.
I have seen that behavior happen (and smashed it down as a GM) (and to be honest, I was guilty of it as a player long ago...) in Call of Cthulhu.
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Old 03-10-2020, 10:30 AM   #15
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

I point for showing up.
1 point for doing any rolepleying.
1 point for good roleplaying.
1 point for achieving a substantial advance in meeting group objectives or doing something major in carrying out a mission.
Occasionally, 1 point if a player came up with something special and cool for their character.

I'd say 3 points is typical.
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Old 03-10-2020, 10:50 AM   #16
Rupert
 
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

I run a three-hour session weekly. Technically only the PCs of character who turn up get full points (the others get 1/session, as do NPCs unless I think said NPC should get more for some reason), but that hasn't been enforced for some time (and usually doesn't matter - see below). Once upon a time I gave out 3/session, but the campaign has gone on a long time, and we were finding that this felt like too much. Now points are handed out on a scale, depending on the PC's current point value:

400- points: 3/session
401+ points: 2/session
801+ points: 1/session

I've joked that logically this means PCs with 1201+ points should get no points per session. Oddly this has not been a well-received comment.

If the character's stayed in one place long enough for it to matter, things like Contacts that were earned would be in addition to the per session point(s). Languages and cultures learned by immersion are also 'free'.

If I'd known how long this campaign was going to run, I'd have handed out fewer points in early session, and imposed hard limits on attribute and skill levels.
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Old 03-10-2020, 10:51 AM   #17
Dargaron
 
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

In my current campaign, points aren't given out on a per-session basis. Instead, the PCs have a list of "quests" they can do (five-six main quests and a shrinking list of side-quests because we've got a Real Life time crunch). When the PCs complete a Main Quest (3-4 sessions apiece, usually) they get 10-15 points, and one of the PCs gets a tailored boost by absorbing an Elemental Spirit. I try to keep the spirit boosts to ~20-30 points, and they'll power up as more players get their boosts.
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Old 03-10-2020, 11:01 AM   #18
Elf Monkey 16
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

I’ve been giving out 3 poker chips each at the start of the session. They can be used a little bit like the Luck advantage, adding 1pt to a Skill of their choice that their character can reasonably explain that they should have already had (preventing mistakes made in creation) and the optional rule with unspent character points and adding in minor details (can’t remember the page number but can look this up later). If they still have the chips at the end of the session they cash them in for character points.
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Old 03-10-2020, 11:11 AM   #19
Ninja Monkey
 
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Culture20 View Post
I see some groups trying to abuse this...
"I pick the lock open"
"i pick the lock closed"
"I cast lockmaster on the lock"
"I smith the lock open with cold chisels"
"I use carpentry to remove the door from the hinges"
"I cast animation on the door"
"I use fast talk to convince the door to follow us down the hallway"
etc.
Certainly would not allow that to happen. Though if I ever run a Discworld game I'm going to nab the walking door idea :D
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Old 03-10-2020, 12:14 PM   #20
Ninja Monkey
 
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Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dargaron View Post
In my current campaign, points aren't given out on a per-session basis. Instead, the PCs have a list of "quests" they can do (five-six main quests and a shrinking list of side-quests because we've got a Real Life time crunch). When the PCs complete a Main Quest (3-4 sessions apiece, usually) they get 10-15 points, and one of the PCs gets a tailored boost by absorbing an Elemental Spirit. I try to keep the spirit boosts to ~20-30 points, and they'll power up as more players get their boosts.
Would love to see session write up. Sounds brilliant.
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