How many character points do you give out per session?

[tshiggins]

I usually give out three points for a 6-hour session in which the players actually focused on the game.

If they screwed around, a lot, and didn't get much done, I'll give out two points.

If the session was pretty action-packed, or involved some really smart decisions around intrigue and skullduggery that moved the campaign forward nicely, I'll give out four points.

I try to follow my friend Andy Patterson's general rule for GMs, and that is that slow growth is best.

That way, everybody is always getting something, or making progress toward a long-term goal, but nobody gets everything they want. So, they have to make meaningful choices about character growth.