I was looking at the number of DP awarded each level (100) and I feel like that is not much outside of a very narrow character development, especially for Ki users and cross-classes like a warrior mentalist. I was thinking that in addition to giving experience points at the end of a hard battle or a segment closure, I would give small my players small groups of development points to augment their characters growth, maybe in small groups of about twenty. Does anyone think that this is a bad idea? I haven't actually got a session going right now, I'm still waiting for confirmations and schedules, so I'm not positive that this is the best method. Can you please give me your opinions? Thanks so much in advance.

Personally i don't see a problem with your method. The advancement is more fluent with your way of progress. And in the end it is the same advancement.

And most important, it's your game. Do what suits you best. It may be a little harder to manage all the DP regarding the limits in primary and combatabilities but you can houserule this at well.

~Sofia Corba

Giving DPs fluently based on characters' deeds might be a very nice idea...I might even go as far as try it in my next campaign.

There's just one big note:

many "bonus" (MK, Life Points) are Level based and not DP based.

To overcome this obstacle you may simply assume that each time a character has earned 100DP, he's earned 1Level Up (so every time a character has accumulated 100DP you may award him with the Level-Up bonuses).

Just don't forget that progression should be slower while levels get higher, so the DP awarding should become increasingly difficult with levels.

My two cents of course and excellent topic anyway!

Only problem will be difficulty of balance. I have a system of giving DP with XP on a percentage system that you probably don't care about. The point is that changing the DP characters get at each level would be very hard to balance. However, if you want characters to be stronger, leveling up more often works just as well, and just requires other things in the world to be higher level on average. The maximum level at the moment is about 20.

Just my two cents, but giving free DP would be difficult on your part to balance, if you want to though go ahead and test it. If it works in your game good for you.

What I've tried doing is giving odd levels 150dp instead of 100. It just really annoyed me how much stronger even levels seemed with the extra stat/CP point. I found the extra 50dp really makes those odd levels seem a lot more of an accomplishment.

thats a great idea. I didn't think about DP being a possible substitute for Experience points

I'd thought about it, but didn't actually implement it. Tried another system that didn't work out quite as intended, mostly due to a couple players not getting it. But next game I do, I'll most likely be doing the DP as XP thing, I'm thinking. If you try it, let us know how it goes.

to wizuriel: The problem with requiring more DP for even levels is that like this equal level characters from different campaigns will be different in strength (because a Level4 character normally has 900DPs spent on the sheet, while a Level4 from your system has 1000DP). Also, NPC and creatures from all around are "designed" using the normal DP allocation, so they will likely need to be fixed in accordance to characters' level to still pose the same level of threat.

to Lia: Of course balancing is the real problem with switching from XPs to DPs in a game that's Level based. The greatest issue is that while at first level 100DP equal 100XP, on following levels, thigs aren't so easy and DP should be earned progressively slower...one might apply a mathematical formula of course...for example, level3 is achieved with 125XP (starting from Level2)...so the master might calculate the XP and then apply 1DP = 1.25XP, hence divide earned XP by 1.25 and you have earned DP per session (if you're using a per session system, of course, which is the standard for Anima).

Just to make another example, going from Level14 to Level15 requires 425XP. Hence each session divide earned XP (with standard system) by 4.25 and you have the number of earned DP in the converted system.

Annoying for the master but very mathematically correct...

You get an extra CP at every even level? Is this a house rule or something in the books? I know the even levels give you a stat point, but wasnt aware of the extra CP.

They give you a CP. Generally you can only spend it to raise a stat by one. A lot of people let you use it to buy an advantage, or buy off a disadvantage though

giving a CP is an optional rule in the Game Masters Toolkit. As that 1CP=+1 to a stat it works with the original system perfectly, except it gives more options.

If I'm not mistaken, Shadowrun uses the DP as EXP pretty well (Karma). But yeah, that doesn't have level bonuses like Anima.

Perhaps one thing you could do to keep balance if you're handing out DP as EXP, is change the % limits to work off overall DP rather than DP Gained that Level? If the purpose is trying to keep things fluid, you could also give half-class bonuses at every 50DP increment?

I use a system of 10% bonuses. Everytime the characters get 10% of the XP needed to get to the next level (10XP at level 1, 12.5XP at levl 2, 15XP at level 3, etc.) I grant them 10DP. Every other 10DP they gain they get 1/5th of their class bonuses (as that all class bonuses are divisible by 5).