EPs and leveling

[Mark]

So I asked Vinny about this and then realized that this would really be the best place for this since I may not be the only person to ponder this.

My question to Vinny was:
"I set up a first level Avatar at Dexcon.  According to the DE website that con was worth 100 EP.  Does that mean that my Avatar has suddenly leaped to fourth level since the total required is only 80?"

Vinny's response:
"No, because you can only achieve one level per event unless you go up during an event with skills and journeys."

Seems reasonable.  I haven't found where this is stated in the rules.  If it's not there then perhaps it could be added?

Now for some clarifying questions which I admit might, in at least one case, be splitting hairs but these are the things I think about when sitting at my desk at work with nothing challenging to do:

1.  Are surplus EPs lost or 'banked'?

The rest of these questions assume that surplus EP that would elevate an Avatar beyond the one level per event are lost which is common in RPGs.  If they are 'banked' for future use then these questions are moot.

2.  Does attaining first level by allocating APs and choosing a house qualify as leveling?
3.  When an Avatar levels and has surplus EPs are they capped at the base for the new level or the highest value at the new level?

Depending on the answers to those two questions an Avatar that was created at Dexcon (worth 100 base EP) would be either:
First level with 0 EP
First level with 9 EP
Second level with 10 EP
Second level with 29 EP

4.  Which is it?

5.  I infer from Vinny's reply to my original question that event EPs and journeying/skills EPs can be added separately.  If so, are the event EPs awarded at the beginning or the end of the event?  Though the situation would be very rare it could happen that EPs would be lost if applied in one order vs. another:  Say an Avatar has 70 EP (3rd level) and attends a 200 EP  event where he also journeys and earns 20 EPs.  If the 200 EP are applied when the Avatar is 3rd level then at most 149 EP can actually be awarded putting him at 219 EP, the maximum for a 4th level Avatar.  The 20 EP would then be awarded brining the total to 239 and the Avatar becomes 5th level.  Awarding the journey EP first would elevate the Avatar to 4th level with 90 EP followed by the addition of 200 EP brining the total EP to 290, also 5th level but with no loss of surplus EP.

[D]

EP's are truncated upon leveling, unfortunately. 

EP awards are described in the chapter "Experience Points and Levels" beginning on page 6, of AS 3.0 Beta.

The order of operations for awards is as follows:

1)You may start earning as soon as you pick a house.
2)You may earn through journeys and skill challenges, either within or outside a DE Event.  Details on those are contained in the rulebook
3)You earn a guaranteed base amount at the END of every DE Event.
4)Any EP that exceeds what it takes to reach your next level is truncated.  AKA, if you need 10, and earn 100, you're gonna blow 90 in the truncation. Sorry.

For any of the newbies out there, your best bet for speedy leveling is to:

A)Attend every sanctioned event you can. 
B)Early on participate in skill challenges and win.  This can cut the time it takes to reach the plateau at level 5 where it starts taking solid time to level.  I believe the record is still held by myself and Alf Cunha who are tied for levels 1-3 within a single even, and then level 4 upon the end of the event, between Ashleigh Connors and Sebastian Kirsch.  And those were before the return of the DREAMATION and DEXCON circuits.
C)After level 5 start role playing your heart out, and participating in the plot, for the bonus rewards.  I can't tell you how much time this shaved off when building up Ashleigh.   Not that you shouldn't all be striving to excel in RP before this point, but it can make the difference between a short growth curve and people that have taken 5+ years to make level 10.
D)When you reach Lord, think long and hard about your second character.  While maintaining only a single character will focus your EP, and speed you along...there is nothing like being able to take a break from the grind of being a Nexus Lord to go and explore options.  I highly recommend the experience.  Power in your numbers is fleeting, power in your personalities can live forever.

That's my $.02.   And welcome aboard all you happy people!

[wcshoe]

There were at least 3 or 4 people that reached level 3 at DEXCON X. The record only lasts so long, guys...

[D]

Yeah but we did it without a DEXCON.    If we had had a DEXCON, and the free time to play in events...we'd have done 5 and 6 easy?  Right Alf?   

[wcshoe]

Nope. Vinny stated no more than 3 level ups at a con.

[JasonNightcaster]

While this was all well and good when there 7 or more Cons/Gatherings/Nexus-Sanctioned Events per year and new Avatars could easily get to 7th level over a year, now that we are down to 2 to 3 actual events and 2 or 3 Gatherings at Central that not everyone can get to as easily, might we want to think about adjusting the way things work? I was thinking that maybe for the big. Dexcon/Dreamation size events that we could break the EP up over the event. Also, it might encourage attendance if Wednesday/Thursday were worth separate EP from the rest of the event.


On another note, can we please get a list somewhere what games are worth EP at an event?
Oh, and since I'm on about it, if we can get info on how to get a game sanctioned for EP, it would be awesome .


Bill/Tor/Jason the Werewolf

[D]

Actually Bill, standard growth curve, even today, is 5th by the end of the first year, 10th by the end of second year, and 15th prospectively 1.5 to 2 years after that.  This presumes default average multipliers, and it should be noted that we're not entirely sure about the 10-15 spread because we have yet to have a someone who was a flat 10, make 15.  I guarantee you we're tracking it though. There's also going to obviously be a difference for those that are splitting EP between two PC's, vs those that are still sitting in only one head. 

Also speaking of tracking, all GM's, including assistants, combat and system alike, are contributing towards the EP bonuses.  We're vigilantly on the watch for people we feel should be getting better bonuses.  Effort and enhancing the game for everyone are getting rewarded.

As for individual games and EP for them, we'll have to get back to you on that.  Not because we don't want to, but rather a matter of figuring their impact on the 3.0 system.

[Kate Beaman-Martinez]

Oh, and since I'm on about it, if we can get info on how to get a game sanctioned for EP, it would be awesome .

Contact myself or Avie with the following:
What you're running (cause we're curious)
What the Avatar Domanice Level is (if you aren't sure, we'll talk)
How many Avatar players are involved (I believe that it is a min. of 3, but don't quote me on that)
How often you run.

I'm sure that there is more, but thats just off the top of my head.

You can email me or Avie at: kbmartinez@dexposure.com and Avonelle@gmail.com
(We ask that you email so I can keep better files on it).

As always, you can also give us a call, but it would be best to send email.

[Bron Price]

While this was all well and good when there 7 or more Cons/Gatherings/Nexus-Sanctioned Events per year and new Avatars could easily get to 7th level over a year, now that we are down to 2 to 3 actual events and 2 or 3 Gatherings at Central that not everyone can get to as easily, might we want to think about adjusting the way things work? I was thinking that maybe for the big. Dexcon/Dreamation size events that we could break the EP up over the event. Also, it might encourage attendance if Wednesday/Thursday were worth separate EP from the rest of the event.


On another note, can we please get a list somewhere what games are worth EP at an event?
Oh, and since I'm on about it, if we can get info on how to get a game sanctioned for EP, it would be awesome .


Bill/Tor/Jason the Werewolf

I remember a time when ....... young whippersnappers!

[Kate Beaman-Martinez]

I remember a time when ....... young whippersnappers!

Why Mike, you've gotten so old that you forgot to tell us what you remember!

[wcshoe]

I was thinking that maybe for the big. Dexcon/Dreamation size events that we could break the EP up over the event. Also, it might encourage attendance if Wednesday/Thursday were worth separate EP from the rest of the event.

That sounds like a really good plan, at first, but the logistics of keeping track of who was where and when, in addition to what they actually did, is probably a bigger problem than we are ready to deal with now.

[LucasJamison]

I remember a time when ....... young whippersnappers!

Why Mike, you've gotten so old that you forgot to tell us what you remember!

Speculation: Green tickets!

Or the time when XP awards for events in 2.0 lagged behind the dramatic inflation of level requirements for an event or two, leading to musings as to whether it would take 1.5-2 generations to complete the the available end-game, versus the mere 1.5-2 years now projected?

[Alf Cunha]

Speculation: Green tickets!

::smack::

**  That was one of the biggest abuses I saw during the days of 1.0 - "hey, I need 20 more points to level" "no problem -scribblescribble- here ya go"

[JasonNightcaster]

Tracking is easy. Walk up to any Avatar GM and say " I'd like to check in for Wednesday/Thursday, please." To which said GM would then punch the requesters ID badge for the event. If you don't have your ID badge come next event, no EP.


Oh, and thank you Kate!

Bill

[wcshoe]

Tracking is easy. Walk up to any Avatar GM and say " I'd like to check in for Wednesday/Thursday, please." To which said GM would then punch the requesters ID badge for the event. If you don't have your ID badge come next event, no EP.

The cynical side of me foresees people buying the complete event pass. They then don't arrive until late saturday, take it home and punch it themselves. Punch holes aren't exactly distinctive.

Avie already has sign in sheets required now for exp award for bigger events, might as well get seperate sheets for each day if we are going to go that route. And the paperwork becomes... unfriendly at best. Besides, during a hectic time, it is too easy to sign in a friend's name in addition to your own, even though they won't be in until late tomorrow. Or the next day.