notelrac clan lord logo Llerendel on Hunting Parties

My current understanding of the experience system is as follows.

If the above is true, here is a hunting party composition that will maximise the amount of experience given, and minimise the danger and comminsuiant amount of waiting to be healed. It will also allow those high level characters who complain "I can't get ranks" -- to get ranks.

(I say fighter-types, because it may be a new character who has not yet chosen a class.)

Before starting, everyone shares with everyone else. (Why? Because otherwise, the 2nd circle types won't bother hanging out with the newbies...)

Before starting, everyone records how much money they start with. When the hunt is over, figure out the average amount gained, and redistribute wealth as needed. (Why? Because otherwise the healer will stay poor, and hunters will fight about who gets that "last shot". This leads to needless deaths, and gets your healer very annoyed. Don't annoy your healer. (But I digress.))

Before starting, discuss whether the newbies should \depart if they get seperated from the party and die. (If they're newbies, it won't hurt them as much as 2ndC types.) Decide how long your hunt will go on.

There are two considerations as to where the hunting party should go. First and most importantly, it should be somewhere the 2ndC fighter can solo the toughest random monster. Second, it should be somewhere the newbies can hit the typical monster.

See my article on Travelling for advice on getting to the hunting area.

Upon reaching the hunting area, the newbies should be instructed in where to run if disaster strikes. The 2ndC healer is responsible for determing whether the situation is dire enough that the party must run.


Here is how the hunt is conducted.

Upon arriving at the hunting region, the 2ndC fighter finds a "typical" monster, and leads it back to the group. He stops, and the monster will attack him. Assuming he is a good enough fighter, the monster will miss.

The newbies swarm, and each gets in ONE (1) hit on the monster, and then runs away.

After each newbie has whacked the beastie, the 2ndC slaughters the typical.

Assuming everything went right, no one needs any healing. So why is the healer there? Because eventually a "boss monster" like a cougar or a Royal wyrm will appear, and then everyone will need healing.


Assuming the above rules on experience are true, each newbie will get 52 1/2% for the kill. The two 2nd Circle types will get 22 1/2% of the kill. But that figure is misleading, because it isn't 22% of the monster as if they killed it themselves. It is 22% as if the newbie killed it. Now, that's confusing, so I'll put it another way.

At the end of the hunt, the 4 newbies might likely go up 20 ranks. Each. For a total of 80 ranks. (Not unlikely, if you don't have to spend time healing up.) That means the two 2nd Circle types will go up 10% of that, or *eight* ranks.

Not bad for an hour's work or two.

Llerendel is now accepting applications for skilled 2nd Circle fighters interested in trying this hunting method out.


Martlet's Response

> Not bad for an hour's work or two.

If it worked that way.

If the sharing newbies go up 80 ranks combined, the high ranking fighter/healer would see about 1-4.

So, why does everyone say newbie shares are worth more?

Well, newbies get exp off everything so even if it doesn't pay much, it adds up quickly. (It seems to be on a scale of 20 level 1 creatures are worth the same as 1 level 20 creature... not a level 20 creature is worth 2000 rats.) As for a high level fighter, (s)he could go 30 minutes at a time or longer not seeing a creature that can be killed instead of slaughtered, depending on the area. Compare that to the vermine you can't help but trip over every 3 seconds, and it adds up quickly.


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