Anyone notice the change in recommended XP per session in the AoR core? In the EotE beta, it started out as something like 10 to 15 points. Then, the EotE beta was amended to 10 to 20 points, This standard remained in the EotE core and the AoR Beta. In both books, it was 10 to 20. But in the AoR core (p. 316) it is back to 10 points.

I am wondering if this was a conscious decision to scale back experience in AoR versus EotE?

I much prefer the 20xp per session. Characters tend to quickly progress to a point where no meaningful advancement can be realized from a 10-15 point session.

I make goals in the adventure and they just get 5 points per goal reached and then they can gain 5 points if they meet a character goal. So one character is trying to find his parents taken by slavers and gains 5 pts when he advances his motivation. Another wants the girl who works on the flight deck to notice him. One guy named Boom gains 5 extra xp every time he makes a triumphant capital damage level explosion as part of a mission. Then XP makes sense. One session you could achieve 2 things and gain 10 points another you could achieve 5 things and gain 25 points. Goal and motivation based xp just makes more sense to me than you showed up this session here is 10 points.

I don't think there is a Newtonian law of xp allocation. I think how much you reward is probably more tied to how often you meet, the level of game you wish to play,etc. I personally think being fairly generous for the first 200 to 250 xp, lets players get the characters to a very proficient place in development. When at that point they are enjoying their abilities a great deal, and the GM can throw really tough and interesting opponents at them. Then it would be ok to back off the xp rewarding to slow progression and savor the good time.

The Edge of the Empire Beta states the following about awarding XP:

The GM should award experience points after every session. The amount awarded is typically 10 XP to each character for a session of two or three major encounters and a handful of minor ones. An additional 5 XP bonus may be granted for reaching key milestones or completing story arcs. The GM may consider awarding an extra point or two of XP for exceptional roleplaying or highly clever thinking. Published adventures may include recommended XP awards. Playing to a character's Motivation also grants 5 XP per session.

The way I read this, the Edge of the Empire Beta suggests a maximum XP award per session of 22 points. 10 XP for the session, (assuming two or three major encounters) 5 XP for reaching a key milestone, 5 XP for playing to the character's Motivation, and an additional 1 or 2 XP for clever thinking or exceptional roleplaying. It seems that the "default" is 10 XP, but rapidly can reach 20 XP. There were no changes to the recommended amount of XP during the update process.

The Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook states:

The GM should award experience points after every session. The amount awarded is typically 10 to 20 XP per character for a session of two or three major encounters and a handful of minor ones. An additional 5 XP bonus may be granted for reaching key milestones or completing story arcs. Playing to a character's Motivation also grants 5 XP per session at the GM's option. The GM may consider awarding an extra point or two of XP for exceptional roleplaying or highly clever thinking. Published adventures may recommend XP awards.

The only major change in the Core Rulebook is that the GM is given more leeway in how many XP a session of two or three major encounters is worth. Theoretically, a player could receive 32 XP in a single session, but the amount of "base" XP for the session is still really dependent upon how fast the GM wants the players to progress.

The Age of Rebellion Beta said the following:

The GM should award experience points (XP) after every session. The amount awarded is typically 10 to 20 XP per PC for a session of two or three major encounters and a handful of minor ones. An additional 5 XP bonus may be granted for reaching key milestones or completing story arcs. Playing to a character's Motivation also grants 5 XP per session at the GM's option. The GM may consider awarding an extra point or two
of XP for exceptional roleplaying or highly clever thinking. Published adventures may recommend XP awards.

This is literally unchanged from the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook.

There were no changes to the amount of recommended XP in the Age of Rebellion Beta.

Finally, the Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook states:

The GM should award experience points after every session. The amount awarded is typically 10 XP per Player Character for a session of two or three major encounters and a handful of minor ones. An additional 5 XP bonus may be granted for reaching key milestones or completing story arcs. Playing to a PC's Motivation also grants 5 XP per session at the GM's discretion.The GM may consider awarding an extra point or two of XP for exceptional roleplaying or highly clever thinking. Published adventures may recommend specific XP awards.

You'll notice that it's almost verbatim what the Edge of the Empire Beta says. All that to say, the key words and phrases here are "typically" and "at the GM's discretion." I don't think these changes in wording are substantive enough to reflect a change in philosophy at FFG about how XP is awarded. They're just saying that there are a lot of ways to determine how XP is awarded, and that the GM has a great deal of latitude in how quickly characters progress.

i just took those as suggestions and sort of reward as makes it most enjoyable right now. many of my players are new to role playing in general and i want to move pretty quickly at first to draw them in. i think later, like 2P51 suggested, i'll draw back on the rewards some if it seems like i'm overdoing it. but it depends on other factors too. how often you play, if you feel the need to motivate/reward fun play, and other things that are "at the GM's discretion". goal is just to make sure that your party is having fun and that not everything is a cake walk. i figure that being looser on xp rewards than credits is also a good thing. pcs will feel rewarded but you can still constrain them through their finances.

Sorry to necro a (really) old thread. I came across this because (as has been discussed over on the Edge of the Empire forum) I'm looking at finding new ways at motivating my players, and I was intrigued by this:

I make goals in the adventure and they just get 5 points per goal reached and then they can gain 5 points if they meet a character goal. So one character is trying to find his parents taken by slavers and gains 5 pts when he advances his motivation. Another wants the girl who works on the flight deck to notice him. One guy named Boom gains 5 extra xp every time he makes a triumphant capital damage level explosion as part of a mission. Then XP makes sense. One session you could achieve 2 things and gain 10 points another you could achieve 5 things and gain 25 points. Goal and motivation based xp just makes more sense to me than you showed up this session here is 10 points.

Has anyone else tried goal-oriented XP? If so, how did you go about it? Was it successful?

Thanks in advance.

I think XP should be awarded to the party, not individual characters, because it's just too easy for people to feel like they are getting screwed over if you award special XP to individual people. I do think awarding bonus XP for good roleplay is nice, and that's where people's motivations come in. I tend to measure "good RP" by two things: 1. Do players have in character conversations with each other that don't directly relate to the adventure? 2. Do players make their characters act in obviously less than ideal ways to highlight their goals and personalities?