So one of my PCs got iced last game. Needless to say, he's rolling up a new character for this week's game.

I'm curious what to do about how much experience to give him for this new character. Giving him the base ~100 for a starting character seems far too low considering that the other PCs have about four hundred or so xp. On that note, capping him at two ranks because he's a starting character also seems harsh. And then his starting credits seem low, too... Etc.

I'd like to hear what other GMsdo in this situation. What's your formula for introducing a new player character? How do balance their xp and credits?

Get him to create the new character as a base (so his stats and such are set), then give him XP equal to the character that died above the starting point and let him spend that as normal.

Not sure about credits.

If you want a more typical staggered organic character creation have him make the starting character. Then give him one big chunk and let him think that's it. Have him spend it. Then give him another big chunk. Play the first session and then catch him up with everyone else at the end of that session. That catches him up while still having him spend the xp somewhat more as if he earned as he went. Of course if the player is a very disciplined player that stuck to a rigid xp allocation all along it might be ok to just give it all to him at once.

another idea is give it to him all at once and let him spend it at different points throughout the session so he can fill in gaps as the team needs if that is a problem. that's been things that i've done so far with my group.

Bonus XP equal to that of the lowest in the group, minus 1 week's usual XP.

i don't like giving a new character the same amount as everybody else. yes, it's more balanced, and you can certainly do it that way, but i feel the player will enjoy his xp more if he earned them by playing a slightly weaker character for a while.

what i would do (actually, what i usually do ) is:

create the new character normally. if the other characters already have a large amount of xp, let him have a few bonus xp so he doesn't feel too weak (especially if it's supposed to be a fighting character). then, as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

also, if the new player decides to make a killdozer droid character, give him more xp than the rest of the group. because you know you want to.

as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

I've done this, too. I call it the "underdog" bonus.

i don't like giving a new character the same amount as everybody else. yes, it's more balanced, and you can certainly do it that way, but i feel the player will enjoy his xp more if he earned them by playing a slightly weaker character for a while.

what i would do (actually, what i usually do ) is:

create the new character normally. if the other characters already have a large amount of xp, let him have a few bonus xp so he doesn't feel too weak (especially if it's supposed to be a fighting character). then, as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

also, if the new player decides to make a killdozer droid character, give him more xp than the rest of the group. because you know you want to.

I've found that making players 'earn their fun' by making them play less experienced characters than other players doesn't do anything to add to the fun of playing the game and often works against it.

If you cannot give the new character a Niche to fill at starting levels, start him at or near group XP levels.

Nothing worse then having a character that is not good at anything except soaking up blaster fire

For example, what is the point of being a Duros if the players have a droid with 5 ranks in astrogation

i don't like giving a new character the same amount as everybody else. yes, it's more balanced, and you can certainly do it that way, but i feel the player will enjoy his xp more if he earned them by playing a slightly weaker character for a while.

what i would do (actually, what i usually do ) is:

create the new character normally. if the other characters already have a large amount of xp, let him have a few bonus xp so he doesn't feel too weak (especially if it's supposed to be a fighting character). then, as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

also, if the new player decides to make a killdozer droid character, give him more xp than the rest of the group. because you know you want to.

I've found that making players 'earn their fun' by making them play less experienced characters than other players doesn't do anything to add to the fun of playing the game and often works against it.

i'm not making anyone play anything. if a player has problems with this method another way might work better. the people i play with have never had any problems with this.

a "constructed" character starting with more xp feels a little less authentic than one that (even at an accellerated pace) earned them in play.

"earning your fun" implies that playing a characterr that's weaker than another character isn't fun. i disagree. i think luke's player had plenty of fun playing beside ben's player.

Perhaps its the attitude of entitlement many of the younger generations have, perhaps it is that other rpgs where a lower level character couldn't contribute to the game.

Either way, I will start new characters at starting experience. This system a group with new and veteran players, everyone can be useful. Veteran characters can have the same chance to hit as a new one, but will probably have more tricks up their sleeve.

i don't like giving a new character the same amount as everybody else. yes, it's more balanced, and you can certainly do it that way, but i feel the player will enjoy his xp more if he earned them by playing a slightly weaker character for a while.

what i would do (actually, what i usually do ) is:

create the new character normally. if the other characters already have a large amount of xp, let him have a few bonus xp so he doesn't feel too weak (especially if it's supposed to be a fighting character). then, as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

also, if the new player decides to make a killdozer droid character, give him more xp than the rest of the group. because you know you want to.

I've found that making players 'earn their fun' by making them play less experienced characters than other players doesn't do anything to add to the fun of playing the game and often works against it.

i'm not making anyone play anything. if a player has problems with this method another way might work better. the people i play with have never had any problems with this.

a "constructed" character starting with more xp feels a little less authentic than one that (even at an accellerated pace) earned them in play.

"earning your fun" implies that playing a characterr that's weaker than another character isn't fun. i disagree. i think luke's player had plenty of fun playing beside ben's player.

I don't think Episode IV Kenobi would have been a PC. He was more along the lines of a GM-controlled guest character from a previous campaign.

I think there are many ways to do it, and all of the above work. It just depends on the group and/or the GM.

I would have the player make a new character, using the rules in the book with all the limitations (mainly because of the limitation on attributes). Then I'd do one of the following:

a) Give the new PC bonus XP equal to the lowest XP total earned by another PC in the group.

b) Give the new PC a percentage of that XP total as bonus XP (50-80% depending), then give them bonus XP at the end of each session until they are caught up.

It all really depends on the group dynamic. I usually opt for option (a), but now that we have approximately 250XP earned per PC, I may cap starting characters at 150-200 bonus XP at creation and give XP bonuses for the rest of the gap.

Just my two Republic Dataries worth.

I don't think Episode IV Kenobi would have been a PC. He was more along the lines of a GM-controlled guest character from a previous campaign.

beside the point.

anyway, han... mucho xp. are we having fun yet, luke?

I don't think having an XP gap in EotE is a limiting as it is in other games. Skills ranging from 0 to 5 and Characteristics ranging from 1 to 6 really keeps the gap between useless and competent low. That Characteristics are improved only rarely means that even exprienced characters won't be vastly superior to rookies.

The cost penalty on taking skills that aren't associated with your career and specialisations does a good job of protecting each role's niche, too.

It occurs to me that a GM in making the decision what to do in this situation should factor in how the player's character went down.

If they played like they didn't care or were generally treating the experience like a video game, exposing themselves to danger for no real reason, narrative or mechanical, and/or generally just aren't role playing, then start them out as a new character.

If they role played it well, saved their team, with lots of lines like "Don't go in! The compartments flooded with radiation!...."Someone has to get the hyperdrive on line! May the Force be with you all!" or "Pull up Jonny!...It doesn't matter, we all knew this was a one way trip." By all means reward that when they make their new character.

Never pass up an opportunity to reward good role-playing.

i don't like giving a new character the same amount as everybody else. yes, it's more balanced, and you can certainly do it that way, but i feel the player will enjoy his xp more if he earned them by playing a slightly weaker character for a while.

what i would do (actually, what i usually do ) is:

create the new character normally. if the other characters already have a large amount of xp, let him have a few bonus xp so he doesn't feel too weak (especially if it's supposed to be a fighting character). then, as the group plays on give the new character more xp every session (depending on how large the gap is. larger gap = more bonus xp).

after a while he will have cought up and you should all celebrate and maybe do a grouphug.

also, if the new player decides to make a killdozer droid character, give him more xp than the rest of the group. because you know you want to.

I've found that making players 'earn their fun' by making them play less experienced characters than other players doesn't do anything to add to the fun of playing the game and often works against it.

i'm not making anyone play anything. if a player has problems with this method another way might work better. the people i play with have never had any problems with this.

a "constructed" character starting with more xp feels a little less authentic than one that (even at an accellerated pace) earned them in play.

"earning your fun" implies that playing a characterr that's weaker than another character isn't fun. i disagree. i think luke's player had plenty of fun playing beside ben's player.

I've never tried this way, our group always keeps everyone at the same XP, but I'd be down to try it some day. There have been times where I've tried to construct a character with tons of XP in other games. I can make a decent character, perhaps even one that is "better" than if I actually role played the progression because I didn't have to make decisions on the order of getting abilities. However, I have harder times getting into those characters. Because I didn't grow with them, I couldn't role play them as well. Not to mention that I kept forgetting all of the powers I had because I got them all at the same time.

I'd recommend starting the new PC below the rest but give them the "underdog" bonus to get them back up to speed rather quickly. Now, if you start them as a fresh PC or one with a bit of experience would depend on how far along the party is. Since you can only spend XP directly on attributes at character generation, you might want to lead the player into thinking that they'll just make a starting character before giving any extra XP. I know that if I was making a character with tons of XP up front I'd spend every last point on attributes before starting while when I actually have to role play a starting character I'll spend some on skills and talents.

Definitely have them build a starting character first (to set their stats in stone). Then, you need to think about the story and who this character is for the story. Are they some back-world rube just getting into the space lanes? Are they some form of hardened Mercenary with hundreds of battles worth of experience? Maybe they are some form of savant in a couple of areas?

Basically, look at what the group is bringing into their fold, and why? Did they interview people for the job? What were the requirements they listed and looked for. Were they saddled with some crime lord's nephew for some seasoning? Is this new character the new expert in XXX?

Determine that, THEN assign bonus XP. There is no reason in this system to "level up" new characters to the same level as the group. Combat effectiveness is NOT determined by level here, but by skills. A Starting Character can have a pretty solid chance of hitting a Rival or Nemesis, if they are focused. Maybe the new character focuses on taking out Minions for a few stories to gather the XP to realistically take out tougher baddies? If the new character is filling a niche, they should be fine... if they are doing the same thing as another character, perhaps this was not the best designed new character?

Perhaps its the attitude of entitlement many of the younger generations have, perhaps it is that other rpgs where a lower level character couldn't contribute to the game.

Either way, I will start new characters at starting experience. This system a group with new and veteran players, everyone can be useful. Veteran characters can have the same chance to hit as a new one, but will probably have more tricks up their sleeve.

("Entitlement" is a bit of a loaded concept. And it's definitely not relegated to the younger generations I live in a community where a sense of entitlement is alive and well in all but the youngest generation. They just look for what's free and take it )

In any case, if you're using "entitlement" in its classical sense as a social hot-button concept, to mean that the players feel like they have a right to something they haven't earned, then that is exactly what we're talking about. Has the player earned anything, and if so, what is it?

On the other hand, if you're using entitlement in a broader definition to simply mean "the fact of having a right to something," then it behooves the GM and the players to talk about what happens when a character dies. Agreements preclude disagreements, and when you make the agreement ahead of time, then entitlement is simply a fact of the matter that you've all agreed to. Problem is solved before it comes up, no matter the decision.

If you didn't make the agreement beforehand, then there could be a clash of expectations. GM cries "entitlement complex!" while player cries "I feel like I just wasted all this time! My character that I poured my time and effort into is dead, and now I have to start over when all you'd have to do is wave your hand and give me some XP???" In this sort of situation, I would argue that the GM should be generous, and then set ground rules for PC death in the future.

If it is all just fate of the power of the dice that led to player death, then so to shall fate herald their rebirth. Roll Force Dice, if the players are X amount xp more advanced then assign 25 xp per Force Pip and use an equivalent number of max potential pips up to what the group has be possible in Force Dice and roll. Fate determines their reincarnation in different form.

May the Force be with you, So say we all, etc

This player sacrificed himself to allow time for the others to escape. A star destroyers was looming down on them as the left the planet, and he was in a lambda shuttle. He radioed the others and told them to engage the hyperdrive, that he'd see them safely home. Then he charged the star destroyer with all guns blazing. It was a hero's death.

I feel like he deserves extra xp. I'm gonna start him out as a new character and then give him bonus xp packs every session.

By all means then, give the xp.

I've not really had to deal with this personally, but the GM in one of the games I'm playing in has been tracking XP awarded per session, with the idea that if a new character comes in (be it a new player or a replacement for a deceased/retired character), they'll get a certain amount based on the number of sessions that he's run up to that point. I think his benchmark was 10 XP per session based on when he and i were helping a new player to the group build her character (though to be fair he generally awards 20 XP per session, and that's before Motivation bonuses). We've played 8 sessions so far, so that put her PC at 80 bonus XP.

Col. Orange brought up the good point that being behind in XP compared to the rest of the group isn't as much of a drawback as it could be in other systems. But that also depends on how much XP the group has accumulated. A starting-tier PC isn't going to be far behind a group of PCs that have only earned a 100 or so XP, but they're going to be pretty pathetic in comparison to PCs that have earned a few hundred XP.

Legend of the Five Rings had a "karma" system, where if your PC died, your next PC got a small amount of bonus XP. I don't recall the exact formula (which changed in between additions I think), but it wasn't much. There were also mentions of the player getting an extra bonus if the PC died doing something truly heroic/honorable/noteworthy, but that was up to the GM to decide if it was applicable. Heroically sacrificing your PC to allow the rest of the group to survive and escape would certainly count in my book.

And I think it was Desslok (I just remember the penguin avatar)

Racist.