Here is a list of experience point awards I use. It contains many of the same entries given in the Dungeon Master's Guide, 3rd Ed for additional experience point awards, but I've tried to come up with a system that encourages role-playing, goal-setting, and to reward players for figuring out things about my campaign world. These xp awards are geared towards a High Fantasy, High Magic campaign, where characters can reach 18th or higher level, so you may need to adjust these awards for your specific campaign. Where the term "kill" is used, it means to kill, banish, defeat, or otherwise overcome an animate opponent. It is my hope that other DMs out there will find this list useful. I also encourage you to send me suggestions and ideas (don't forget to remove the NOSPAM.
In my campaign, I give all the players a printed copy of this list for their use. It is the player's responsibility to keep track of any bonus awards he or she may get. This is to minimize DM workload. We'll have to see if this new version goes over as well as the previous one for 2nd Edition did.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the players who have given me invaluable input in creating these lists. Most especially to Jerald Eaker, James Lell, Thomas Strom, and Sean McDaniels. Thanks, guys!
| Capturing opponent | xp value of opponent |
| Challenges-Accepting | 50xp |
| Challenges-Winning | 100xp |
| Embarrass the Bad Guy | 200xp |
| Fulfill Vow | 100xp |
| Gain Relevant Information | 50xp |
| Gain Critical Information | 100xp |
| Good idea | 100-500xp |
| Gain Relevant Information | 50xp |
| Humor award (must make majority of players at table laugh) | 100xp |
| Move of Daring3 | 20xp |
| Role playing | 50-100xp |
| Role playing-Dramatic moment | 50-100xp |
| Role playing-Got in trouble, knew better | 100xp |
| Role playing-Keeping in character | 50xp |
| Ruin DM's plot | 1,000xp |
| Save party (single-handedly) | 500xp |
| Set Up Bad Guy | 2x XP value of creature |
| Stump the DM | 50-100xp |
| Per burial performed | 10xp |
| Per greater undead (vampire, lich) destroyed | 500 xp |
Reminder: All xp awards are subject to DM approval.
1 [Deprecated] Does not include casting healing or protective spells outside of adventure. Example: You get nothing for healing everyone up after adventure when you are safe at home, restoring stoneskins at the end of the trip. You do get xp for doing any of these things during a fight, in between combats while enemies have withdrawn, or casting any divination spell during the adventure that has relevance towards adventure goals, immediate goals, or character goals.
2 These awards are for any kill made with style. For example, disarming an opponent of all weapons before finishing him off, cutting all the armor off of an opponent to force him to surrender (which also gets the Capturing Opponent award), or throwing a lightning bolt at the ceiling to crush enemies with falling debris.
3 Also known as the sheer guts award. Any action which takes unusually high risks. For example, instead of backstabbing an opponent, the thief uses his pick pockets ability to snatch away the bad guy's sword. Or: Letting the giant purple worm swallow you so that you can hack your way out from the inside.
4 Any use of a non-weapon proficiency that results in significant gain towards PC's or party's goals. Example: Using the gem cutter proficiency to create a replacement stone for the Crown of Ages.
Capturing Opponent: PCs capture an enemy. This is the same as defeating him. No extra award if PCs kill opponent while he's still captured. If the opponent is released and is later again captured or killed by the party, they get the xp for him all over again. This award will get reduced with repetitious captures of the same opponent.
Challenges-Accepting: Character is challenged by NPC who can inflict real harm on PC, and accepts. Must stand chance of losing something valuable. Example: Thief accepting a challenge by Vecna (as in, the lich whose hand & eye are now artifacts).
Challenges-Winning: Same as Challenges-Accepting.
Embarrass the Bad Guy: PC puts opponent in very embarrassing situation, public or private. Public is worth more xp. Example: Stealing the evil anti-paladin's armor and clothes, setting the building he's in on fire, and fighting him in the street - while he's in pink polka-dot underwear.
Fulfill Vow: PC makes a vow to accomplish a task, slay an enemy, destroy an item, etc. and fulfills it. Vow must have difficulty attached, more dangerous than a Challenge. Example: Paladin vowing to destroy Lolth, and succeeds in module Q1 - Queen of the Demonweb pits.
Good Idea: Any tactically sound, brilliantly inspired, or otherwise unusually good idea. Examples: Using passwall on the floor to drop opponents through a bridge.
Humor Award: Play must stop while players and DM laugh. Example: Lice: "Look!! A Dandrian!! GET 'IM!!!!" (Inside joke).
Role playing-Keeping in Character: Player runs his character according to description. I.E. Hates magic & constantly reviles spellcasters, Has weak will when being seduced by women, Annoys the heck out of the local priest with philosophical discussions, etc.
Role playing-Dramatic Moment: Tearful expression of grief, vociferous exhalation of frustration, long-lost lovers scene, inventive laying of a curse, etc. Must have DRAMA.
Role playing-Got in trouble, knew better: PC went ahead and did something consistent with his character, which the player knew full well would cause him grief. Must put PC in danger, ruin reputation, ruin love interest, etc.
Ruin DM's Plot: If a PC ruins my plot, by accident or design, the PC gets a special award. Plot must be in shambles, with no hope of recovery.
Save Party (single-handedly): PC must, without assistance by any allies (familiars are an exception), rescue another PC (or the entire party) from certain doom. This doom can be a Role playing-Got in trouble, knew better; a Challenge, etc.
Set Up Bad Guy: PC(s) arrange for an enemy to be taken out by another enemy, or by his own side (3x award for this).
Single Combat Award: PC challenges/is challenged by powerful opponent (must be at least equal or greater power to PC) to single combat. Non-cumulative with the regular single combat award of 10xp/HD. PC must win without any outside assistance. I.e., no prep time to cast protective spells (unless the bad guy gets the same), no summoning monsters to help with the fight, etc.
Stump the DM: Any situation the player manages to put the DM into where the DM can't get a way out. Example: Anything not covered by published rules that also isn't in a player handout. One infamous Stump the DM award was: Casting a Dispel Magic and Fireball simultaneously - this resulted in a rules-decision.