How To Earn/Spend XP

PLAYER CHARACTERS:

XP AT CHARACTER CREATION - aka BUILD POINTS
*Please see How to Create a Character For valuable tools such as a desk reference, basic sheet creation walk through, and blank character sheets for vampires and ghoul/humans. Questionnaires are also there to help you build your background and earn additional build points. (Max possible build points at character creation is 30)

New characters begin with a number of build points equal to the number of Months since the game restart (July 2016) to current month x7.
_Example: characters starting in August 2016 would get 7 build points (for the Month of July already processed). November 2016 new characters would get 21 Build points (5 months {August, September, & October} x 7 per month) and so on._
Use XP charts for costs - since Build points are spent on the XP rate and not the same as Freebie costs! -
*Please note in the character creation section (and on the blank character sheets) that some things can ONLY be purchased with Freebie Points.

*Additional build points can be earned by completing backgrounds and questionnaires.
Backgrounds must be completed before any build points will be given. The maximum extra build points earned from Backgrounds and Questionnaires always will be 30.

#1 - Background - good for 5 to 10 xp depending how thorough you are in completing your background. (Must be done before any Bonus XP/Build will be given)

#2 - Questionnaires - the Short Questionnaire is good for 5-10 build points, the Expanded Questionnaire is worth a maximum of 25 points. You will earn XP for only one of the two questionnaires not both.


*AFTER CHARACTER CREATION:

*#1 - POST! Active characters earn up to 10 XP for being active. Activity is defined as establishing new scenes and attempting to finish old ones. Ideally we'd like every character to start and finish at least 2 scenes during any given month to be considered active. They do not have to be the same scene, they do not have to be extensive, but they should be substantial. If for some reason you feel you've fallen short, then 2 lit posts (or more) may be exchanged for one of the two required scenes.
(We recognize 2 scenes started and finished each _calendar _month, is not always in your control due to time stops, and circumstances. We just expect an effort made to create quality role play and maintain activity on the board for your character as well as those you interact with. Two lit posts and 1 active scene during a month is not time intensive and should be considered the minimum for active status, but the important thing is reasonably active and creative role play.)

#2 - Literary posts and Shout outs! Active characters can earn additional XP per month for one or both of these two categories, But only to the max XP of 15 per month. If you wrote 5 Lit posts because you weren't active this month, or did one great scene and no lits but got shouts, again, don't expect to Max XP for the month.
If you were active and wrote 5 lits and got shouts for great role play, the total is still the same.
*Total MAX XP per ACTIVE PC per month = 15XP* Well almost.

#3 - Above and beyond: We know that some players don't just post and play, but go out of their way to enrich the game for their other players. Upon occasion the staff may award a single additional XP point for this. The MAX XP any one character can earn from this source is 3 per year. It is meant as a reward and not as a way of unbalancing the game or showing favoritism.

*Inactive characters* still earn the same minimum as someone new making a base build character which is 7 XP per month, but will be shelved after 6 months of inactivity. ST approval will be required to unshelve inactive characters. This is not intended as a punishment but rather to inspire a minimum commitment from everyone each month to keep the board to a minimal amount of activity.

*RETAINERS/GHOULS/CHILDER on an ACTIVE PC SHEET:* The idea is to allow growth to those characters that add flavor and story to the board.

#1 - POST! If you actively RP this NPC character using a separate ID you can earn up to 5 XP per QUARTER on these Supporting role NPC's.

#2 - Literary posts and Shout outs! NPCs may earn up to 5 additional XP per QUARTER for shout outs and literary posts.

Total MAX XP earn per ACTIVE supporting role character = 10 XP per QUARTER. (Quarters will be Jan-Mar: Processed in April, April-Jun: Processed in July, July-Sept: Processed in Oct, and Oct-Dec: Processed in Jan). Supporting Characters do not earn inactive XP.
Please note that NPCs/Supporting characters may not be "taken over" by another player to play. If their status changes in any way (for example, if a retainer is embraced to play your childer by another player) they start at Basic Build.
(See How to Create a Character Link above for sheet blanks and reference information.)

_*I process XP earns the first week of the month and spends about a week after that. I might try to do a second round later in the month but there are no guarantees. So when you see XP posted, make those spends! Thank you for your patience!_