Porting BitD XP system into D&D or PF2e · Game Master's Laboratory

Porting BitD XP system into D&D or PF2e

I wonder if the debrief questions for experience in Blades in the Dark or Monsters of the Week would work well for leveling in proactive D&D and PF2e games.

D&D and PF2e have some varients of three ways of handling XP: xp for kills, xp for story milestones, or levels for story milestones. Milestone leveling has become very popular for running prewritten modules to avoid getting to areas under or over leveled.

I have been trying awarding XP for completing character goals, but it is adding complexity to writing and using goals. I think it could work, but is not working with a GM and players new to proactive goals.

In Blades in the Dark, each playbook (class specific character sheet) has a set of questions that determine how XP is awarded. Here are the questions for the Whisper:

Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

You addressed a challenge with knowledge or arcane power.
You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

I would note that this structure means that if you don't build a character that fits the setting and group, you won't get as many chances to level. This has an interesting effect on how the game is played and discouraging lone wolfs.

So, as a thought experiment, what would good debrief questions be for tracking experience in a proactive game, I would love your thoughts and additions...

Note: the proficiency with level mechanic in PF2e means that it is quite important to keep people at the same level, so I think it needs to be group XP, which negates one of the coolest impacts :(

Did you struggle with conflicting goals within the party?
Did you apply your backgorund/expertise to help anohter party member acomplish their goal?
???

Need to think more on what exactly I am trying to do...

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