With my play-by-post game on the verge of a reboot, I was thinking about house rules to permit the creation of more experienced heroes. One simple method would be to start heroes with the same values in Valour and Wisdom, but allow them to choose a Reward or Virtue for each point, rather than each point over the first (i.e., either two Rewards and a Virtues, or two Virtues and a Reward). An increase in the number of points allotted for Previous Experience would likewise permit heroes of greater competence, although care must be taken. Fifteen points is probably enough, twenty might be too much. Thoughts? Opinions?

I think simply providing XP & AP points to the character, as if they had accomplished adventuring of their own, offscreen, would suffice. The character can then spend the points as they see fit, to advance their imagined character concept. Some of these Rewards and Virtues may be dependent on future events, at the LM's preference due to storytelling needs, within reason.

So, having bought Keen & Fell for the same weapon, the LM might say to this player "Alright you're due a really great weapon, but just handing it to you before joining the active part of the adventure would be boring. I have something in mind in this next adventure and you'll get it at some point during the adventure, rather than starting out with it at the beginning." The LM would have to keep in mind that this character is adventuring in an area "over his level" and cautiously run encounters to prevent killing the character off during the period between buying and receiving the Reward. Alternately, they could be provided with a temporary bonus item which is ruined around the time the character receives their permanent item. Note that I am assuming this reward item is not a part of the adventure's final treasure, but given to the character sometime before the finale.

This requires careful consideration for the character's age and the amount of experience provided. Anything beyond a single years worth of XP/AP should increase the character's starting age on a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio. So if a player is handed 3 years XP/AP they start the game at <starting age + 3 years> or <starting age + 1.5 years>. This might entail some minor character appearance / background adjustment because the character is older now than when originally created. The player may also wish to provide a short "adventure summary" of what they did to earn these rewards.

It is also possible that a player may not want to accept or make full use of all of their benefits. For instance the player may choose to spend half of the XP/AP and bank the rest for future need - with LM approval, of course. This might reflect a growth spurt or period of extensive training; Merry and Pippin kind of go through this starting with Treebeard/Isengard on through the Battle of the Pelennor. In this case I don't think the LM needs to carefully consider encounters, the player is deliberately withholding their own advancement and must be aware that they run the risk of not being up to the challenge.