I figured I'd eventually get back to XP for Roleplaying, the dumbest way to hand out XP. As originally mentioned in this post; I figured it was time to explain because I'd left this hanging out there for a few years and there's definitely some people out there who've somehow stumbled upon my never publicized blog and probably want to know why it's stupid and should never be done.
For the simplest reason: who watches the watchmen?
Simply put it's because of GM favoritism, specifically it's a check against that. Because GMs are stupid humans too. When given the opportunity to reward some more than others due to perceived "better roleplaying" it really doesn't have to be that there was better play involved, the GM might just be fucking the person he's decided should get the most XP. Yes I'm pulling in the old "GM's Girlfriend" trope. It's hyperbolic, but I'm only exaggerating to make a point. As humans we have biases and aren't always aware of them.
The fairest way to do XP in D&D I outlined in the post linked above because it requires the inherent democracy of treasure division which always beats a dictatorship (or oligarchy, or republic for that matter) when it comes to fairness of all societal members. It also gives agency to the players, which isn't a dirty word, just often used badly and by stupid people (on both sides of the "agency" controversy). Players deciding when they burn their fortune to boost their level fundamentally changes the game to the point it opens or breaks people's minds during play. A simple rule with that large of an impact is either genius or madness, and I think it's the former.
