Non-Combat XP Charts designed by Helpful NPCs

Expanded XP
Level Achievement Exploration Heroism Plan Roleplaying Task
1 25 50 50 25 25 25
2 50 100 100 50 50 50
3 75 150 150 75 75 75
4 125 250 250 125 125 125
5 250 500 500 250 250 250
6 300 600 600 300 300 300
7 350 750 750 350 350 350
8 450 900 900 450 450 450
9 550 1100 1100 550 550 550
10 600 1200 1200 600 600 600
11 800 1600 1600 800 800 800
12 1000 2000 2000 1000 1000 1000
13 1100 2200 2200 1100 1100 1100
14 1250 2500 2500 1250 1250 1250
15 1400 2800 2800 1400 1400 1400
16 1600 3200 3200 1600 1600 1600
17 2000 3900 3900 2000 2000 2000
18 2100 4200 4200 2100 2100 2100
19 2400 4900 4900 2400 2400 2400
20 2800 5700 5700 2800 2800 2800

“Formulating a Plan” by Helpful NPC Ryan via Midjourney.

HelpfulNPCs.com
When to Award
There’s a lot more to adventuring than fighting monsters, so it
deserves to be incentivized.
· Time Investment. XP awards represent a time investment
from the players. Activities that earn XP should take as
much “table time” as a combat challenge.
· Active Participation. XP awards require engagement from
characters (which can include “talking as” a character). XP
awards are earned through words and deeds.
· Risk and Reward. Most noncombat activities carry less
risk than battle and thus earn less XP.
How to Award
· Group Awards. When the player characters earn an XP
awards, each character is awarded the XP.
· Teamwork. XP awards are not provided for individual ac-
tions. XP awards are earned for cooperating as a team.
What to Award
There are six different types of XP awards in addition to stand-
ard Combat XP.
Achievement
· A Job Well Done. Achievement XP is awarded for accom-
plishing a long-term goal, often at the end of a story arc or
long, difficult quest.
· Bonus XP. This XP is typically awarded in addition to an-
other XP award.
Exploration
· No Unturned Stones. Exploration XP is awarded when the
player characters thoroughly explore a location. This en-
tails interacting with the environment over multiple
scenes.
· The Perilous Unknown. This XP is often awarded at the
end of a dungeon or wilderness journey.
“Diplomatic Relations” by Helpful NPC Ryan via Midjourney.
HelpfulNPCs.com
Heroism
· Acts of Service. Heroism XP is awarded when the player
characters go out of their way to perform some noble deed
in service of another, one that entails significant risk or
sacrifice.
· More Than Combat. Heroism XP is not awarded for com-
bat alone, as Combat XP is already awarded. (Fighting a
dragon isn’t enough, but diving through a dragon’s claws
into a burning building to save a kitten would deserve a
Heroism XP award.)
· Bonus XP. This XP is typically awarded in addition to an-
other XP award.
Plan
· Devise and Execute. Plan XP is awarded when the player
characters devise a clever or unusual method to overcom-
ing an obstacle and then carry out their plan. This does
include creating battle plans.
· Success or Failure. Plan XP should be awarded regard-
less if the plan succeeds or fails. (Most plans will have
mixed success and failures, and even total catastrophes
should receive Plan XP for the time and effort involved.)
· Bonus XP. This XP is typically awarded in addition to an-
other XP award (often Combat or Task XP).
Roleplaying
· Table Talk. Roleplaying XP is awarded for scenes in which
the player characters interact with NPCs at length (and
may include non-violent conflict resolution). This often
includes “talking as” a character (though first person nar-
ration is not required).
Task
· Skill Challenge. Task XP is awarded when the player char-
acters attempt to overcome an obstacle through their ad-
venturing skills. This is usually an extended scene that in-
volves multiple skill checks.
· Broad Scope. Task XP is a broad category and may be
awarded when an activity seems like it should result in an
XP award but doesn’t clearly fit into another category.