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Deed-Based Advancement

I've been thinking about advancement systems in TTRPGs. 

By far the most common system I've come across is experience points, with experience points won by defeating enemies - or, sometimes, by overcoming threats in a more general sense. This has never quite worked for me personally. Sitting down to calculate the precise number of experience points I ought to award, and keeping track of how many a player has, and how many they still need - it just strikes me as unneccesary bookkeping that I'd rather avoid.

The same applies to the system popular in the OSR, where experience points are awarded for gold brought back from the dungeon. It's still maths, and it's still bookkeeping - and it happens to be a dissociated mechanic as well. A fighter gets better at fighting, or a wizard at casting spells, simply by entering a dungeon, pilfering some unprotected loot, and returning. 

Milestone-based advancement has been my go-to recently, where I award players level-ups at set milestones. It's certainly an easy system, based entirely on gut feeling, and it allows level-ups to come at appropriate moments. But it's a bit wooly, and very much opaque for the players.

So what about a middle ground? Making the milestones transparent and player-facing, and having a set number of milestones lead to a level-up. This trims the bookkeeping to a very managable level, while avoiding the pitfalls of milestone-based advancement. I'm going to call this Deed-based progression, for now. 

Some possible Deeds include:
  • Slaying a noteworthy monster
  • Discovering a significant loaction
  • Clearing a dungeon floor
  • Brokering a peace deal
  • Recovering a lost artefact
It also opens up the door to a 'Boast' system, similar to what was in the video game Fable. For those of you not familiar, the game allows you to take on extra challenges during a quest - beating it without taking damage, or without wearing armour - in order to earn extra rewards.

I think this could really synergise with a Deed-based progression system. Before setting out on a quest to accomplish a Deed (slay the Red Wyrm of Storm Crag), a character can take on a Boast ("I can slay it with one hand tied behind my back"). Succesfully completing the Deed while sticking to the terms of the Boast will reward an additional Deed towards advancement.

There would need to be a punishment for failing a Boast, of course, to make taking a Boast a decision, rather than just 'the done thing.' Losing the Deed from your progression could work? 

These are just some thoughts rattling around in my head right now, but I think there's a good idea in there somewhere.

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Comments

  1. BenDecember 29, 2024 at 5:22 AM

    I had a similar thought, barring the Boasting, and came up with a list of one-time events that would merit leveling up. The drawback is that many of them require a higher level of experience just to attempt, let alone survive such an event. Such examples include founding a domain, binding an extraplanar being, slaying a dragon, creating a unique magic item, and traveling to other planes. So its the lesser things that get a PC to mid and high levels that are hindering me. Overall, the thought has merit though, however its executed. Thank you for writing it up!

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