Step Nine: Spending XP
Step Nine: Spending XP
To spend XP, speak with a staff person. XP Purchases can be made during check-in, after game-down, or after game-up but before beginning play; XP should not be spent during uptime.
Alternately, you can submit your spend request via PM to the Staff group on the forum.
Some downtime results will state "you may buy up your XXX". This means you have done the work necessary to make the purchase, but you must still explicitly make the purchase.
Initial XP
Your character begins with a minimum of 30 initial XP. Your Storyteller may award more than the standard 30 if she wants her chronicle to include more experienced characters. You may have spent some of your initial XP on merits, and you may have gained more initial XP by purchasing flaws. Any remaining initial XP should be spent now.
With your initial XP, you may:
• Purchase more attributes, skills, or backgrounds.
• Purchase additional dots of Generation. You must purchase the Generation background at the XP cost of the new Generation. For example, if you assigned one of your starting background dots to Generation, and would thus be a Neonate, and you wish to play a Pretender Elder, you would need to spend XP as follows: Neonate to Ancilla (new level x2) costs 4 XP, Ancilla to Pretender Elder (new level x2) costs 6 XP = 10 XP to go from Neonate to Pretender Elder.
• Purchase more dots of your in-clan disciplines.
• Purchase up to 3 dots in common out-of-clan disciplines.
• Purchase in-clan elder powers (if your Generation allows them).
• Purchase techniques (if your Generation allows them, and you meet the prerequisites).
• Purchase another dot of Morality.
You cannot purchase more than the 3rd dot of an out-of-clan discipline with initial XP. When purchasing out-of-clan disciplines with initial XP, you can only purchase common disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence, and Presence. You do not require a teacher to learn out-of-clan disciplines at character creation, as long as you can justify being taught in your character’s backstory. (Your Storyteller has final say over whether or not you can justify discipline instruction in your backstory).
If you do not spend all of your initial XP during character creation, you may bank up to 5 points. Banked experience becomes earned XP. You may not bank more than 5 of your initial XP. If you complete character creation with more than 5 unspent XP, the remainder is lost.
Earned XP
As you play your character at games, you will earn experience points ("XP" or "exp") with which you can enhance your character sheet. You can spend XP to purchase new attributes, skills, backgrounds, merits, and disciplines, improving your character and allowing her to “learn” as she goes through stories and experiences in the game.
To raise the level of a background, you must submit downtimes to justify the raise. Generally speaking, the number of downtimes needed increases the higher the level you are trying to purchase. Occasionally, events in-game may allow you to raise a background without requiring downtimes (such as being given a very large amount of money to justify raising resources.) Justifications provided this way still require you to spend the exp on the purchase.
You may not purchase more than one level of a skill or discipline on any given week, without special exception from Staff. Like backgrounds, lore skill purchases must be justified with in-game event actions.
Earned XP may be used to purchase out-of-clan disciplines above the 3rd dot and may be used to purchase uncommon and rare out-of-clan disciplines. To purchase an out-of-clan discipline with earned XP, you must have a teacher.
Remember that there are two items you cannot buy with earned XP: dots of Generation and bloodline merits. These two items must be purchased during character creation with initial XP, and cannot change during the course of a chronicle except under rare circumstances, such as diablerie.
XP for Playing
Characters receive one exp each week at check-in, just for showing up.
At the end of each game, Staff awards exp exceptional role-playing.
Exp can be earned through Lit Challenges.
Players who NPC at staff request earn 1.5 exp per week they NPC.
Additional exp may be awarded at Staff discretion.
At the end of game each week, a random selection of players may nominate someone other than themselves for exp for exceptional role-playing.
Additionally, all players are welcome to write-in to staff with their nominations.
XP may be earned by submitting a character background.
XP costs are shown here: XP Chart
