I must admit, I firmly fall into the combat based camp. Although I also support awarding experience points for events like puzzles being solved or quest being accomplished.

So you may say, Terry is that milestone-based? Well yes and no.

I have been in games where the experience points were milestone based and it almost felt like we got awarded experience points to advance the story and not based on what the party accomplished. I think this is something a Dungeon Master needs to be very careful about. Again, the Dungeon Master has the plot but the players tell the story. It is very important that the Dungeon Master doesn’t award when it suits the story, but rather when the players and their actions have earned them.

I think if the campaign is awarding experience points via milestones then the milestones and the associated experience points should be written down at the start to reduce the temptation to award experience points when it suits the Dungeon Master. It again is a fine line to award experience points when the players and their actions have earned them and not solely doing what the Dungeon Master ‘wants’ them to do. I have also in the past awarded different experience points for unique or novel solutions or combat successes.

BTW. Fantasy Grounds has a wonderful features to evenly distribute experience points and treasure with the click of one button. Life changing.