I prefer the OD&D way. It seems to be a better fit with the way XP already works -- XP for things you get rid of, like treasure and monsters, but not for allies and charmed creatures -- but also avoids the question of when XP are awarded. When the item is found? Identified? Used? If you award XP when the item is identified, what happens in cases of partial identification?
If you do award XP for the item itself, I think you should include non-magical unique items that are also worth XP, to keep the players guessing. And keep the amount low... Very low, like 100 XP to 500 XP, with some kind of overlap.
In OD&D, don't you get experience for acquiring treasure rather than getting rid of it? I thought the experience-for-treasure-you-spend rule was an Arneson house rule. (I plead ignorance here. I don't own any OD&D rules.)
ReplyDeleteYes, but there are a lot of people using the Arneson house rule... and let's face it: you might not *have* to get rid of it, but you will eventually.
DeleteI could maybe give some XP for magical objects that are identifies "the hard way" i-e tested by the characters.
ReplyDelete