Experience points

[Ravenspath]

I would like some input from the group. I just rebooted my face to face Eberron game. Okay I am about to reboot it with the input of my players from last night. We are turning the game from dungeon crawls to an urbane political game. The group wants to start building a guild ala Harpers from Forgotten Realms (with a darker bent).

My question is this. How would you grant them xp? They won't be fighting monsters and gaining treasure in the typical way. I have thought that if they convince someone to join the guild or do a good bit of blackmail on a corrupt official I can give them xp as the CR of a monster of that level. And for money they collect to start/run the guild.

But what ideas do you have?

[Poseptune]

Each potential member is an encounter. Some are eager to join (easy) and some don't want to be a member of any guild, but their skills would be a great asset to the guild (hard).

[LordVreeg]

My secondary group has members of The Frigid Song and the Martial School of Song, both Bard guilds.  While they gain exp specific to the skills they use in my particular framework, they aslo gain EXP in any of the charisma based skills.  Thus, creation of a tavern song that makes the rounds is worth exp, a song that actually climbs the social strata to the merhant level, or even the landed, the guild, or the politcal level, is worth more exp as the song creates more and more of a stir.  
EXP is also given to new connections made and alliances made, as well as enemies discredited.  Nothing is more satifying than parodying an enemy...as you said, base it on the CR of that official, the same way you would blackmail.

The amounts given is skill based in Celtricia, but I ratio it by the effect it has.  I make it hard to get a song played by others.  It takes bardic talent, and the more the fame of the guild is affected by certain talented bards, the more exp that is worth.  Convincing another bard to use your material also gives you an amount of exp comensurate of the CR of that bard.

[Thanuir]

Give experience when the guild manages to actually change the world around them.

E.g. CR 1-3 would be recruiting individual members, up to five for very important/powerful people (kings and such)
CR 6-10 would be changing the destiny of kingdoms, city-states, large wars, etc.
CR 11-15 must change the entire world significantly
CR 16+ is for changing the nature of more than this world (permanently close the gates through which all magic travels, etc.)

Guilds are fun when they shape the world. So give players exp for doing just that.

[Túrin]

At one point I wanted to make my campaign much more roleplaying-heavy / combat-low. To this end I installed roleplaying XP. However, I found that it was very hard to give high enough rewards, and whenever the PCs would have a fight they would suddenly gain much more XP. This would encourage combat, which was the opposite of what I wanted. IMO, there are two ways to go:

- scrap XP for combat encounters

- scrap XP entirely

I have chosen the latter option. I now have my PCs level up regularly every four/five sessions or so, partly depending on how much has happened in those sessions, and partly on when we think it would be fun to level up.

Túrin

[Matt Larkin (author)]

- scrap XP entirely
I have chosen the latter option. I now have my PCs level up regularly every four/five sessions or so, partly depending on how much has happened in those sessions, and partly on when we think it would be fun to level up.

Back when I still ran d20, I used this tactic.  It works well, keeps all characters balanced for the challenges, and so forth.  Generally, I gave out a level at the end of any major adventure.  Then we knew the next adventure would be bigger and harder.

[LordVreeg]

At one point I wanted to make my campaign much more roleplaying-heavy / combat-low. To this end I installed roleplaying XP. However, I found that it was very hard to give high enough rewards, and whenever the PCs would have a fight they would suddenly gain much more XP. This would encourage combat, which was the opposite of what I wanted. IMO, there are two ways to go:

I think this goes back to the style of the GM.  Yes, if are free-forming around town, this EXP combat-to-noncombat can be an issue.  However, if you can create the proper in-town adventure, complete with risks and rewards, it will create a framework where the rest of the experience flows logically.  If you have challenges set in advance, just as you would in a more traditional setting, that framework should make everything flow.  

Bardic Guilds are often used in my world as the public-relations weapons of other guilds, churches, and the aristocracy, the same as they use the Assassins guilds and the military.  Certain Bars and hostels may be neutral ground with a crowd to win over, which would be a great low CR reward beginning adventure.

Creating an open appointment for a house Bard of a lesser noble that must be filled, complete with competition from other guilds and the politicing that comes from that, would be another low-mid CR reward mini-adventure.  In this case, winning over family members and members of the household would be critical, as well as gaining information as to who is really making the decision and who might influence it. These 'goals' would be analogous to overcoming traps and defeating creatures in a normal adventure, and should be rewarded as such.

[beejazz]

Give them xp for defeating foes. Doesn't just mean killing, after all.

Snuck past a guard? xp! Disabled a trap? xp! Foiled a conspiracy? xp!

Players not in conflict? Why the hell not?

Edit: Now gold and gear is something else entirely.