XP Rules and Multiple Characters

After some consideration by the DMs and discussion with the player base (hat tip especially to Adam Dray), we're adopting a modified XP system for The Waste. This system allows you to have multiple characters, and more especially makes it easier for more experienced players to play lower-level PCs along with newer players, without sacrificing advancement.

1. YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY ACTIVE CHARACTERS AS YOU LIKE.

That's pretty much it. Go crazy.

2. DMS WILL HAND OUT "ENCOUNTER POINTS" RATHER THAN XP

At the end of each session, the DM will tell each player how many "Encounter Points" (EP) their PCs earned. 1 EP is equal to 10% of the experience a PC of the party's average level would take to reach the next level.

Every player in the game gets the same number of EPs, with one exception. If you bring a PC who is more than 3 levels above the average level of the party (I mean, c'mon), you get only half normal EP.

If the DM has one or more PCs, he or she also gets a share of EP equal to what each PC got for the session.

3. THE ACTIVE PC GETS THE EP

The PC you played in the session (or a single PC of your choice, if you're the DM) gets the full number of EP you earned.

4. YOU CAN ALSO SPREAD SOME AROUND

In addition, you can apply an equal number of EP (in 0.1 EP increments) to any other PC you have, *except* your active one (i.e., no gaining double EP). Alternatively, you can "bank" as many EP as you like (see below).

5. 10EP = 1 LEVEL

If a PC hits 10EP, she gains a level and her EP resets to 0. You don't lose EP if you "overshoot" - just start over from 0 and add whatever was left over when you hit 10.

This basically just makes EP into a "standardized" currency across character levels.

6. BANKING

You don't need to apply your extra EP (those gained for inactive PCs) if you don't like to. You can "bank" as many EP as you like, and then withdraw them whenever you like to level up a *new* PC (defined as one that doesn't have any EP on it).

This lets you create a new PC of an appropriate level to adventure with a different group, replace a dead PC with one of comparable level, etc.

The "only a new PC" rider is there to prevent applying EP twice to the same PC, without having to track which EP in your bank come from which character.

If you have questions about this system, please ask them in this thread.

Cool beans.

Exactly who could get EP when tripped me up at first, so I'm going to rephrase because I want to make sure I understand it all.

Every game, you get two equal sets of EP: A) and B). A) goes to your active character, and B) goes to any other character of your choice -- or, alternately, you can bank some or all of B). But once it's been banked, EP in your bank can only be used on a brand new, level 1, 0 EP character.

Is that all correct?

My other question is, can B) be split among more than one character per game?

Yes, that's correct. And yes, you can split B up if you like.