Finarvyn's "accelerated XP" notion

[finarvyn]

I posted this on OD&D Discussion but thought it might deserve a thread of its own, and thought "why not here?"

The idea was to run a game where characters would start out at first level but be able to hurry though the XP in order to get to a higher level quickly. For example, suppose the GM wants to run the old G-series (Giants) modules which are rated at high level (I'd guess 12th or so). One option would be to have the players create or use high level pregens, one is to set the modules aside until the characters advance naturally to higher level, and a third could be to accelerate their growth until they reach the appropriate level.

Maybe just rule that each encounter is 2000 XP or something like that. And maybe use a single XP table so everyone levels up at the same time.

For example, using the "2000 XP encounter" model:
Start at level 1
Level 2 = end of 1st encounter
Level 3 = end of 2nd encounter
Level 4 = end of 4th encounter
Level 5 = end of 8th encounter
Level 6 = end of 16th encounter
and so on.

OD&D has a fast enough level-up process that it probably wouldn't slow the game down too much, particularly if you were playing all day. That way they would feel like they "earned" the levels, even if done quickly.

What do you think?

[The Red Baron]

I would choose option 1: start the players at a higher level.

I'd tell the players that one of them (They can vote, or you can just pick the most experienced player) is a baron (9th level lord) in a small keep on the fringe of civilization, and that recently giants have been raiding his lands. The other players (depending on what characters they rolled up) would be the local hedge wizard (level 11 wizard), the castle bishop (level 8 cleric), and the knights of the round table (level 8 superheroes).

Alternately, if you want to start all the fighting men at the same level, they can be cousins, sons, etc. of the baron that have been called to help.

[Admin Pete]

While I like all three options Fin, I am more inclined to option 1, if I wanted to run a module like that. Since we play once a month for 3-5 hours, option 1 would work best for us.  Now back in the old days instead of playing until we had 8-10 players at 10th to 12th level (which is what I have heard that the old G-series (Giants) modules were rated for); we would have went after them with about 25 8th level characters. Which should have been up for the task.

[The Red Baron]

I guess the fourth option is to run G1 with first level characters, and just let them know that they're in over their heads.

I think that would make for an interesting and fun playthrough.