Looking for some tips/answers.

[randyds]

I have some questions about running/creating adventures for Palladium Fantasy, so I am hoping that I can get some help here.

1. Experience points: If you use the official way to award XP, do you count multiple times of those instances? For example: the wizard cast Sleep and caused 70% of the enemies to fall asleep. I believe this counts as "Killing or subduing a minor menace." So, my question is would he get that once, or as many times as enemies were subdued?

2. Treasure for low level characters: We are only a few sessions into the campaign, and I want to have them find something cool. However, I don't want what they find to be too powerful or game breaking at low level. What kind of treasure do you put in your low level adventures?

I'm sure there are other questions I have, but these are the ones that are in the forefront of my brain.

[GoliathReturns]

So, short answer is, there is no hard rule for either of those.

Both are in regards to how quickly/slowly you want things to escalate in your game.

But, an example might be.. say it's a group of mooks rhe party is fighting. Individually, they might be minor threats. But, as a group, they're a medium, or even high, threat.

It's also up to you if you're doing party exp for combat, or individual.

For loot, it depends on if Im running that game as low or high magic, or even no magic.

Remember that in Palladium Fantasy, costs are... well, they're crazy expensive compared to other games.

I usually do loot specific to the encounter. You killed a bunch of goblins? Well, you got a few small sized hide armors that have been cut to shreds, some rugged spears and rusty knives. Maybe a handful or two of gold. Unless those gobs have been pillaging caravans, then who knows what you'll get?!

If you do slip up, and give something too powerful right away, don't stress it. Because that meand things are a lower threat, so they'll slow down on EXP. Or, you use it as an excuse for a big bad with something more powerful.

Once had a group that begged they all wanted rune weapons right away. I said sure. Let them find a cache that had been hidden by purifiers. I then had those rune weapons being "awoken" to be the cue that awoke the BBEG, who was hunting down those rune weapons...

--
GS

[Veknironth]

Well, in terms of the level of menace what threat was it? If they could easily be handled by spamming Cloud of Slumber at a distance was that a threat at all? If it's in response to an ambush that could be a greater threat or even quick thinking/clever plan for extra EXP. So there is no clear cut answer, you have to judge it by feel.

In regards to loot, it's like GS said. You need to determine the level of your game. It's fun to have a really powerful PC with oodles of magic weapons and items but that can be a challenge for the GM. They just magic their way out of everything. Or, heaven forbid, they have a mind mage to psionic out of everything. Something cool for a first level group could be just a superior weapon, either dwarven or kobold. There could be magic potions or snuff, which offer a temporary boon but don't break the game. Or, a sword that is magically colored. It won't do lots of damage but it will hit things that require a magic weapon. Scrolls are a good low level boon as well.

-Vek
"Never trust a mind mage."

[GoliathReturns]

Something cool for a first level group could be just a superior weapon, either dwarven or kobold. There could be magic potions or snuff, which offer a temporary boon but don't break the game. Or, a sword that is magically colored. It won't do lots of damage but it will hit things that require a magic weapon. Scrolls we a good low level boon as well.

While Vek, as usual, gives some great tips, I'd also suggest to not be afraid to give loot that fills holes in the party's planning.

For example, if your playera are the "always forgets to buy food stuff", a bag that provides one meal, per day, is a handy item. And, value -wise, that's expensive and could worth a lot of money, but it isn't going to make encounters or traps any easier, so YOU don't have to really take it into account when planning combat or traps.

Remember, too, the books are a jumping off point. Even if you can't find it in the books, just make something up to fit the role you want.

--
GS

[Hotrod]

1. Experience points: If you use the official way to award XP, do you count multiple times of those instances?

Yes... kind of. I usually have one player keep a tally of experience points awarded so I don't have to juggle that as the adventure goes. I keep a conversation going with the tally-keeper about what counts and what doesn't. I also rely on the tally-keeper to help remind me from time to time of when I should be awarding experience ("Hey, does that count as "endangering one's self to help others?" "Oh, yes, thanks") Multiple instances of the same category of skill do count, as long as they aren't the same situation.

Examples:
1. Let's say you're doing an "Oregon Trail" type of journey game where the journey itself is the major point of emphasis. You're sailing along and do a daily Navigation skill check to make sure you're on course and know your position, and that counts for experience. The same character doing it again on the same day/weather condition/situation doesn't yield additional experience. But a new day with different weather/wind/location is good for more experience. As long as a player can articulate a viable reason for performing a skill that fits the situation/character, I'm fine awarding 25 points. If it seems like they're using a situation to perform skills more for experience points than much practical benefit, or if one character is performing a lot of these regular skill checks, I might reduce the experience point total. For instance, if that same navigating character also gave a daily Musical Instrument performance to entertain the ship's crew on the long voyage in addition to the other skills, I might give only 10 points.

2. If you kill a goblin mercenary, that counts as subduing a menace. If you kill two or more of them in the same fight, you might get credit for defeating one greater menace, but not for defeating two lesser menaces. New fight means new opportunity to defeat a menace.

3. In general, you don't get multiple types of experience awarded for the same action. I don't generally count combat skills for experience unless the character is in a non-combat situation. Shooting a goblin will give you some experience for defeating a minor threat, but you don't get experience for the act of shooting. However, shooting in an archery contest does count.

2. What kind of treasure do you put in your low level adventures?

+Maps. Seriously, my favorite thing to do is to pull out an actual map I've made and hand it to the party with a "you find THIS." It's a great way to entice them into further adventures and helps everyone keep a common frame of reference.
+Items of significance to a specific N.P.C., faction, or O.C.C., but aren't directly helpful to the characters who find them. Clues, incriminating evidence, intelligence, courier bags, a private assassination contract, a stolen item, et cetera. This can be an elegant way to steer player characters a certain way without railroading them.
+Items that help reduce, bypass, or eliminate tedium/downtime/recovery or obstacles:. Healing items, scrolls of mend metal/stone or Restoration/Resurrection are handy for this, as are some single-use travel magic scrolls.
+Disposable stuff. Single-use potions, scrolls, lightning arrows/javelins, etc.
+Tradable goods valuable to an alchemist

I prefer having players seek out or commission their own permanent equipment rather than bequeathing it, but if I do have weapon or equipment loot for the player characters at low levels, I prefer to offer modest incremental improvements to what they have.