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Being a new GM, I have two questions about the word "level".
1) If the party members have enough experience to level up during a module, do they level up at that time or should I wait until the end of the module?
2) If, because of a bonus due to a stat, a 1st level character has an additional 2nd level spell, do they actually get to use a 2nd level spell as a 1st level character or most they wait until they can actually utilize the spell per the class spell chart?
Thanks!!
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1. This is really up to you as the GM. I tend to award XP at the end of the night, or the module, whichever comes first. Leveling up usually takes place between sessions.
2. No, they can only cast bonus spells of a level that they can already cast. When they become capable of casting 2nd level spells, then they get the bonus spell.
Good luck :)
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Being a new GM, I have two questions about the word "level".
1) If the party members have enough experience to level up during a module, do they level up at that time or should I wait until the end of the module?
Many modules actually assume the characters will advance during them. If it is a home-grown adventure though, you can advance them at whatever pace you like.
2) If, because of a bonus due to a stat, a 1st level character has an additional 2nd level spell, do they actually get to use a 2nd level spell as a 1st level character or most they wait until they can actually utilize the spell per the class spell chart?
Thanks!!
No. They do not gain the ability to cast a spell of a level they can not ordinarily cast. They gain the bonus spell of that level as soon as they are able to cast spells of that level.
The ability that governs bonus spells depends on what type of spellcaster your character is: Intelligence for wizards; Wisdom for clerics, druids, and rangers; and Charisma for bards, paladins, and sorcerers. In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of a high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level. See the class descriptions in Classes for details.
As an aside to avoid potential confusion, the answer to 2) is exactly why some classes will go from - spells of a level (i.e. can't cast spells of that level at all) to 0 spells of a level (can cast, but don't get any spell slots unless they get bonus spells of that level) to 1+ spells of a level (can cast the spells regardless of whether they have bonus spells).
Example:
A 3rd level ranger gets - level 1 spells per day - he can't cast spells at all.
A 4th level ranger gets 0 level 1 spells per day - he can only cast spells if his Wisdom is at least 12 (which would give him 1 bonus lvl 1 spell).
A 5th level ranger gets 1 level 1 spells per day - he can cast it even if his Wisdom is only 11 (which would be the minimum to cast level 1 spells in the first place, 10+spell level).
About levelling during play: there is a rule for a character's starting age (even if it's seldom used).
It says that the "brainy" classes start later in their adventuring career (implicitly because of their studies taking years to achieve).
I don't see how multiclassing in the middle of a dungeon could suddenly gives a fighter a spellbook and spells to use. Or a deity to worship.
But I could see the same character having trained for some time and his training coming to the point he can use it.
Here's my house-rule: when the characters reach a given level, they write down what their next level would be (defaulting to their current class).
They buy supplies (spellbook, holy symbol, spell components, musical instrument, etc.) for that next level before adventuring too far.
Then, when they level, they can multiclass without interrupting the module.
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Ok, so now that I am allowing them to level up in the middle of a dungeon I assume that they must now rest for 8 hours to gain their new spells. How do I handle this? Do I roll every couple of hours for a random monster or should I assume that the area of the dungeon that they have already cleared is safe enough to rest 8 hours?
Much thanks for everyone's assistance!!
Ok, so now that I am allowing them to level up in the middle of a dungeon I assume that they must now rest for 8 hours to gain their new spells. How do I handle this? Do I roll every couple of hours for a random monster or should I assume that the area of the dungeon that they have already cleared is safe enough to rest 8 hours?
Much thanks for everyone's assistance!!
1) Not every class needs 8 hours to get spells. Note that divine spellcasters need to pray at a given time each day, chosen at creation.
2) New spells gained from class progression? I'd just let the party have them. They wake up the next morning, the sorcerer figures out a new way to manipulate the power in his blood, the bard finally gets that song right, the wizard solves the arcane formula, and the cleric finds out that god has rewarded him for his work.
3) How and when you want to deal with random monsters is up to you. If it makes for more fun, of course, do it. It can make things a little more difficult for people who need that 8 hours of rest to recharge their spells (but they can work around it). You could just say nothing happens, you could also just assign a chance of an encounter and then a number of opportunities (say, 3 chances per night: twilight, midnight, just before dawn, as an example). Really, since you're new at this, I'd probably skip the random encounters. Wait until you're more comfortable with running the combats you set up in advance. When you're feeling good about that, then you can pop a monster on the party. And yourself, since you'll want to randomly determine what it is, after all.
RAW says when XP is given the the player if they can level up then it happens (which is why is says to give XP out at the start or end of the session) gaining all feats, skills, HP's, and spell slots. But they still have to rest to memorise (fill) the new spell slots, just like if you go up a level your HP do not reset
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The thing is the party (and GM) aren't sure if it is safe to rest. How do you determine that?
It is "Safe" if their rest isn't interrupted during the night. That information is solely in your (the DM's) head! I usually have the party set up a standard camp configuration and if there is a random (or planned) encounter in the night, we play it out. If not, they rest through and everyone is good to go in the morning.
Definitely... also, as the GM, try to figure out the logic and logistics behind the area (will the creatures living there be passing through, are there a lot of wild animals in the area, and so on and so forth) as well as what the PCs do to make a camp site (in a dungeon for example, are they just making a camp in some random room, or are they barricading the room they're in properly so that it'd be hard (and noisy) to get in for a random passer-by, etc.
Of course, you can also decide to be nice to them, but ultimately it should be a mix of a) what makes sense for the situation, b) what makes sense for dramatics and most importantly c) what's the most fun.
In the end, a dungeon where it's always safe to curl up in any corner and sleep isn't very exciting (unless it's the kind of old tomb with nothing alive inside unless you trigger the trap, in which case the emptyness and lack of life becomes part of the atmosphere), but on the other hand NEVER getting a full night's sleep because the party is ceaselessly hounded by various nasties isn't very fun, and also isn't very likely unless they've done something very stupid to annoy the local populace and/or are stupid about their choice of camping spots.
The thing is the party (and GM) aren't sure if it is safe to rest. How do you determine that?
There are several methods but all of them require you to use your judgement as DM. Typically I roll once/hour on a random encounter table to see if any random monsters happen by (usually a roll of 8 or above on a D10). This means that they will probably have one run in during the night. Make sure to ratchet up the tension so that they feel like they are in dange. Have them hear scraping sounds, a few close calls, howls in the night, etc.
If you are in a classic Gygaxian dungeon with several different autonomous groups of monsters then you can assume that it is possible that the PCs can make camp without being disturbed. On the other hand, if you are in say, a well organized complex of hobgoblins or the citadel of a powerful wizard and all of his minions then it will be much less likely that they can sleep there safely and you should give them fair warning before they try.
Of course you can always choose to be nice and just say that there is a secret door that leads to a hidden room that noone in the dungeon knows about if you want a quick fix that will allow them to continue without forcing them to leave the dungeon. Sometimes it is not all that bad if your PCs decide that it is best to leave and rest in a safe area. This will make the dungeon feel more real when they return. If they do this just make sure to account for the movement of the creatures within. Some may move around and find new lairs e.g. "now that the nasty ogre is gone we goblins can finally explore the upper reaches."
Being a new GM, I have two questions about the word "level".
1) If the party members have enough experience to level up during a module, do they level up at that time or should I wait until the end of the module?
My house rule for this situation is that a PC must have time for "reflection," to level. That means that he must be in a quiet place where there is little to no chance of combat like an inn or a campsite in the woods. This allows him to reflect on what he has learned. A wizard may practice new spells that he is considering or a fighter might try to duplicate some awesome feat that he performed by accident in the last adventure.
Of course, you are the sole authority on how to interpret leveling in your game.
Tomez the fighter lies on the brink of death. The cleric has been swallowed whole.
Gesh, the elven wizard, launches his last spell, his weakest spell but its all that he has left. 5 brilliant glowing darts streak towards the fel worm. It staggers and collapses in a heap, unable to stand.
DING!
Tomez "Hey! 15 more hit points.. i'm good to go!"
Usually you level the party at the first bit of downtime the characters get (stopping for the night) or at the first bit of downtime the players get (breaking up for the night, the mid game session takeout arives, etc)