Narrative XP

Traditional XP systems, where you gain XP based on how many monsters you kill, can be slow and clunky.

Levelling when you hit a milestone is much simpler but can sometimes feel arbitrary, or like your characters aren't working towards anything.

This is my attempt at a middle ground, hopefully providing the best of both while fitting seamlessly into any system. Players take it in turns to give out give each other small, achievable goals, with all players levelling up when a predetermined number have been met. Plus the whole thing fits on a business card which you pass around the table as you play.

Inspired by games like Blades in the Dark (John Harper), Unbound (Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor) and Expanded Experience Points (Mark Hulmes).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.