Stupidity with Chickens

[CockroachTeaParty]

A chicken is worth 65 XP.

On the slow XP track, a character could go from level 1 to 20 by killing 82,308 chickens (rounding up to the nearest fowl).

If a level 1 character were somehow transported to our world to do this, they would destroy slightly more than 4 standard 'boiler' chicken farms, which average about 20,000 birds each. This act of chicken genocide would only impact 0.00052% of the global chicken population (just shy of 16 billion). To put it another way, there are enough chickens on planet Earth to fuel the ascension of 192,616 characters.

This is the slowest scenario. On the medium track, Earth's chickens could see 286,248 characters to level 20 (55,385 chickens slain each), and 429,377 characters on the fast track (36,923 chickens slain each).

A chicken only costs 1 gp according to Ultimate Equipment. Based on a settlement's purchase limit alone, a large city could finance the chicken-ascension of 1 level 20 character on the fast track, while a metropolis could almost pull off 3 characters. Of course, that's the trade value of a chicken; the cost of running a productive chicken farm would likely be a fraction of the cost over the course of a year.

In a 3.5/PF crossover world, chicken-infested commoners could become XP batteries, fueling the creation of epic heroes in record time, although I'm sure the lunacy of the chicken-infested flaw has been covered much more thoroughly than the scope of this thought experiment.

Of course, it's reasonable to assume that a character would not receive XP for defeating traditional non-combative chickens. Only blood-thirsty war-chickens that know no fear would count as sufficient challenge. While the danger would still likely be low for low-level characters, it would likely slow down the process until said characters possessed the ability to destroy chickens en masse (fireball, great cleave, etc.)

An arms race emerges: what nation can produce the largest population of combat chickens at the cheapest cost, while keeping low-level character deaths at a minimum?

[Florian]

And then the Skald emerged to reign supreme!
Buff a chicken with a Linnorm Death Curse and watch everyone trying to level the chicken-way whither and die, gaining XP this way. (And more than by killing chickens)

[Geddy2112]

This is beautiful in every way. I will incorporate this into a game...somehow.

[Khosan]

And now begins the age of the Chickyverse. The slightly fowler version of the Tippyverse.

Going by WBL, a 9th-11th level character (depending on XP track) could spend the bulk of their gold on chickens to get up to level 20 almost immediately, so the level cap is basically halved. And if you spend all your starting gold (on average about 100 gold) on chickens, you actually start at level 2-4 (again, depending on XP track).

[Psyren]

Not to burst your bubble, but CRB 399:

Each monster, trap, and obstacle awards a set amount of XP, as determined by its CR, regardless of the level of the party in relation to the challenge, although you should never bother awarding XP for challenges that have a CR of 10 or more lower than the APL.

Note that "lower" here is referring to Table 12-2 on the previous page, so CR 1/6 is actually multiple rungs lower than level 1. The highest you could therefore get from slaughtering chickens is level 6; still amusing but not broken. And that is assuming you haven't penned in or tied down the chickens to keep them from escaping, which would lower their CR further to 1/8 (unfavorable terrain) and cost you another level.

3.5 of course deals with this problem even more harshly.

[paranoidbox]

Note that "lower" here is referring to Table 12-2 on the previous page, so CR 1/6 is actually multiple rungs lower than level 1. The highest you could therefore get from slaughtering chickens is level 6; still amusing but not broken. And that is assuming you haven't penned in or tied down the chickens to keep them from escaping, which would lower their CR further to 1/8 (unfavorable terrain) and cost you another level.

Play E6? :D

[CockroachTeaParty]

Not to burst your bubble, but CRB 399:



Note that "lower" here is referring to Table 12-2 on the previous page, so CR 1/6 is actually multiple rungs lower than level 1. The highest you could therefore get from slaughtering chickens is level 6; still amusing but not broken. And that is assuming you haven't penned in or tied down the chickens to keep them from escaping, which would lower their CR further to 1/8 (unfavorable terrain) and cost you another level.

3.5 of course deals with this problem even more harshly.

The keyword there is "should." :P

-or-

Are you saying this idiotic scheme wouldn't work under any reasonable GM? Perish the thought! You wound me with your rules-lawyering cynicism!

[Psyren]

The keyword there is "should." :P

Indeed it is "Should" establishes the general rule (much like "Characters should spend no more than half their total wealth on any single item"); an individual GM can then suspend that rule and grant XP for chickens all the way to epic at their table if they wish.

Are you saying this idiotic scheme wouldn't work under any reasonable GM? Perish the thought! You wound me with your rules-lawyering cynicism!

I get that a lot

[Telonius]

"And thus began the celebrated rivalry between Col. Sanders and General Tso. They will be locked in mortal combat forever, so the legend goes..."

[MaxiDuRaritry]

"And thus began the celebrated rivalry between Col. Sanders and General Tso. They will be locked in mortal combat forever, so the legend goes..."

Why, oh why can't we give +1s or thumbs up?

[tomandtish]

"And thus began the celebrated rivalry between Col. Sanders and General Tso. They will be locked in mortal combat forever, so the legend goes..."

Legends tell of a time when the two of them, along with a third, were like brothers. But the Colonel, overcome by greed, killed the Captain and tried to slay the General as well. Thus the wars began. Although the Colonel has made impressive gains in the west, the General still has many strongholds there, and still dominates in the east.

But there are those who say that the Captain did not actually die. Although severely wounded, he fled to the sea. Renouncing his military rank, he swore that the power of fish would one day overthrow the Colonel. And thus was born Long John Silver.

[Bucky]

The highest you could therefore get from slaughtering chickens is level 6; still amusing but not broken.

And then you graduate to fighting two chickens at once, which is a higher challenge CR.

[Eisfalken]

Why do I now want to create a demiplane dungeon filled with templated/classed anthromorphic chickens, arm them heavily, and call it the Chicken Level?

[elonin]

even many video games stop giving xp for challenges that are too low level. Although, Skyrim doesn't, though the chickens there report crimes.

[Bullet06320]

Why do I now want to create a demiplane dungeon filled with templated/classed anthromorphic chickens, arm them heavily, and call it the Chicken Level?

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/artic...d2/d220010302x

refluff the secret cow level from Diablo II and I think your all good?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/artic...d2/d220010302x

refluff the secret cow level from Diablo II and I think your all good?

That's a load of bull.

[Eisfalken]

That's a load of bull.