How do you handle the above situation? A group of players have been around for a while and now a brand new player wants to join the group. Do you start the new player off at their base XP or do you ever boost their starting XP? In the past (and with other systems) I started the player at 1 level less than the lowest level player.

I was thinking about starting the new player with some extra XP/Credits to help them keep up with the others. Maybe just increasing the amount they can get via the optional obligation at character creation?

I just start them at the same level as everybody else. I don't think it's necessary for them to "earn their fun" and start off behind the other members of the group.

I just start them at the same level as everybody else. I don't think it's necessary for them to "earn their fun" and start off behind the other members of the group.

This is largely how I handle it.

I just start them at the same level as everybody else. I don't think it's necessary for them to "earn their fun" and start off behind the other members of the group.

I do the same as a GM and always lobby for the same as a player, regardless of the system.

I just start them at the same level as everybody else. I don't think it's necessary for them to "earn their fun" and start off behind the other members of the group.

Yeah, I don't see the need to penalize someone just because they weren't a part of the game before. Joining a new group is stressful enough without starting at a deficit.

Awesome. I'm making up a few new PCs-to-be and I want to plan them out nice. Thanks!

I'm not sure how I'd handle starting funds though. Maybe double normal (1000), plus whatever you can get from Obligation?

Well the GM I played with last week gave us each 5600 as a single session award. I typically run on the lower side of maybe 300-750 credits per player per mission. I may go with 1500 credits so they can get a rifle and armor or some combination of gear.

I would catch them up. If you want you can have them make a character like they normally would and them give them a chunk of xp and have them spend it. Then give them another chunk without telling them you are doing it. That will help a more step by step approach if you feel it's necessary to simulate rewards over time. Then if they are still behind after their first session given them a final big chunk to catch them up.

Though seemingly not a popular approach from the responses here so far, I only give new players coming in a percentage of the XP the established players have earned. This is so they are not utterly behind the group but also to not diminish the time investment of the established players.

I for one get rampantly pissed when I am playing in a game and someone who misses a couple sessions gets handed the same XP by the GM "so they don't fall behind." Especially in games with low rewards levels outside of the XP (thus making XP the primary reward factor for characters). Edge's "keep 'em hungry" default ethos for credits falls into this category for enhancing the reward value of XP higher than normal.

Knowing how much it upsets me on the player end, I both (1) don't expect to be matched with the established players if joining an already running game and (2) establish policy in games I GM so as not to put off players of like mind to myself.

Each session, I usually give everyone the normal xp plus 5 bonus xp (to everyone present) if they play to their motivations or for fun roleplaying.

If you miss a session or start your character after the campaign has been running, you miss out on the bonus 5 xp per session, but get the same normal xp as everyone else. This keeps everyone pretty close in terms of power level.

I also give players the option to email me privately what their character was doing during the downtime, or make up a fun short story from the character's past, in order to get the bonus 5 xp per session they missed.

If a character dies, the new character has the same total xp earned as their last one. The player did the work already and I see no reason to penalize them.