In the Deathwatch core book it gives the suggested XP award as 500xp per 4 hour session for each player. It then goes on to offer the detailed chart based on challenges and objectives.

If you're using the detailed list do you divide up the xp between the members based on them all completing the objectives etc or do like to award to the member who did the deed, i.e 'Here's +175 because you took off the Hive Tyrants head'?

How do you like to award XP?

Well you (The GM) give out XP however you feel is appropriate.

You can award XP to the players who did the most work. But this tends to leave the players who didn't do so well behind. Because in the next game, they will have the exact same profile and skill. Where as he who can do everything is just getting better.

I like sharing the XP to the whole team, considering they should be working as a team, and awarding additional XP to the Brother that did something remarkable.

Cameron said:

That's how I do it as well. You might want to keep these "special deeds" rewards low though, because they could lead to unwanted competition among your players ("I want to shoot the Boss Monster!" - "No, you got the XP last time, this time I want to kill it!").

I give the total XP earned to each PC. They succeed or fail as a team.

The general xp (ie that for completing obvectives and the like) should be awarded to everyone. However there may be bonuses for particular actions for individuals. However, they should be small, something like 50-100xp.

Basically if they objective was to kill the Hive Tyrant everyone should get the xp for the objective, but you might want to hand out another 50-100xp to the one who you judge most responsible for the death of the creature (the killing blow may not be appropriate if it rewards what is essentially a "kill steal" by another PC). If it is a subset of the group who are equally responsible you could maybe reward both, or split the reward.

I would steer clear of generally giving XP bonuses for simply being the most killiest (landing killing blows on major foes, killing lots of foes, et al). It encourages glory-hogging rather than team-work, and penalises those who have elected to play the crucial support elements (apos, techs).

Instead, I look to reward those who have made sacrifices for the team, and really helped the story along from a non-combat perspective. After all: Deathwatch does not need to further encourage players just to blow stuff away!

Agreed; you should be level-handed with your distribution of XP. It's the Kill Team, not the Quintet of Kill Marines.

The only special bonuses I would give would be for extremely good roleplaying outside of a combat scenario, and even then they would be very small (~50 to 100 max).

Every session I award and extra 100xp for the following to make the game a bit more competitive, and the players so far enjoy it.

Best Kill- Not just biggest thing killed, but most creative kill of the night some times wins this.

Most Kills, Skills- Some sessions the devestator has an obvious advantage for this one, but some sessions the apothecary and librarian have the skills to pay the bills.

Best Role Playing- who ever keeps in character the most/best.

MVP- The players choose this one amongst themselves.

Worst Rolls- Sometimes it just isnt your night, and in reality we learn more from our mistakes then our successes so this exp reflects that.

Nimon, consider your idea stolen

jacktheinedible said:

Cool ya feel free to use it or make your own based on that type system.

I like to give the team as a whole XP's split equally, but will give bonus points for something special, and good roleplaying.

I then use Renown points for rewarding combat successes, as well as any special actions. I haven't been generous enough to give out Honours yet.

All of this should be modified to suit the character's abilities or speciality. Mowing down swathes of 'nids is far less impressive for a Devestator than a Marine with a standard Bolter! Likewise new characters should get more rewards for making a good showing alongside established characters. This will help level the group.