For my Moonlit Grove game – or as my family calls it, “the Teahouse Game” – the concept that I’ve spent the most time thinking about but least time talking about is XP. Since I’m playing the game with my kids, I want the rules to allow my kids to use the skills they’ve been building, including math, so XP was definitely in. More than anything, this is why Mausritter forms the core of the rules.
However, I didn’t feel like the “xp for treasure” vibe that’s the norm in OSR and NSR games (including Mausritter) make as much sense for a game that’s far more Miyazaki than Moorcock. So far, the “xp triggers” that I’ve been using are either task/errand/quest-based (escorting tourists to the scenic overlook, etc.) or item-based (turning in valuable herbs to the Tea Witch), but I’ve strayed from the “xp for treasure” mold because I didn’t want to reward the hoarding of wealth with anything but a hoard of wealth.
OSR carousing mechanics are some of my favorite ways to part players from their wealth while rewarding the players for setting their fortunes on fire, but thematically, they just didn’t fit in with the Teahouse Game, either. But in the past few sessions, my now-five-year-old daughter hit on a fantastic thing that’s like carousing but far more on-theme: gift-giving.
Gift-Giving
Gift-giving in Moonlit Grove follows a formal pattern that must be observed. Describe the gift that is to be given and assign a value to the gift in coins. The gifter must either pay this price in coin or create an equal amount of value; upon completion of payment or creation, the gifting character gains a 1-slot Gift item. Upon presenting the Gift item to its intended recipient, the gifting character gains XP equal to the Gift’s value.
Alternatively, determine the value of the gift by rolling 1d6x100c.
In two of our past few game sessions, my daughter insisted it was someone’s birthday – first her character, then her character’s sister – and we’d need to do things for those birthdays. By the second time we had to create imaginary presents for imaginary people, I realized that (a) my daughter loves to give gifts and that’s super-cool and (b) we have the opportunity to mechanize generosity. In the spirit of “games are about what they have rules for,” I love the idea of having explicit gift-giving rules, making the invention, obtaining and giving of gifts one of the things that the game is about.