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So I was recently typing up an adventure log following a session where the party leveled up, and I got curious as to how others might describe the process from a fluff perspective. Things like new neural pathways or ah ha! moments for new spells or abilities, or a feeling of general heartiness for new HPs and such.
So how about it? What kinds of fluff do you use to describe it, assuming you do?
So how about it? What kinds of fluff do you use to describe it, assuming you do?
Courage and with hath served thee well. Thou hast been promoted to the next level.
In 1e, you had to go pay somebody 1000's of g.p. to train you when you got enough exp to level up.
"I know Kung Fu!"
I joke, but (whether playing or DMing) one or another of the players will make something meta-jokey about it.
In games that I run there is no additional fluff to gaining a level, it's a purely rules process. Rather the fighter has been slowly working out the kinks of his next feat, the wizard been penning her new spells in the spare moments, and the bard is drawing upon his muse at the nightly campefire. I like it be more organic and to have new skills and abilities be the work of time and practice rather than sudden enlightenment.
Of course my games tend to be of longer timescales than most, so there is enough downtime between levels that characters can practice and work to justify a new level.
I see leveling up as a journey, not a destination (I even made rules to support it once).
Much the same as GraveScion, and I agree with Kierato's sentiment.
I feel stronger.
Heh. I remember once I said to the player of a wizard "You happen to meet another pupil of your old magic teacher. She discusses with you a few of the finer points of spellcasting, and you get a deeper understanding. You quickly and excitedly jot down notes in your spellbook." I led this speech into the simpler explanation that it was time to level up.
The player's reaction was essentially "Huh?"
I never used "level-up fluff" again, after that.
I don't bother with anything more complicated than "I've been toying around with this new spell/ability/maneuver...".
You do X amount of stuff so much that you eventually get a full point better at it where you progress by fractions, which are always rounded down, you just noticed you were more powerful.
Like in all the animes where chopping with a katana a bunch of times eventually makes you the best swordsman ever.
My character roars as his hair stand more on edge, and turns slightly more blond.
/joke
Depends on the character;
- Arcane caster; research and applied knowledge
- Divine caster; meditation and prayer
- Martial character; training and developing techniques/skills
"I know Kung Fu!"
I joke, but (whether playing or DMing) one or another of the players will make something meta-jokey about it.
A running joke with my gaming group: divine spellcasters "know kung fu." XD
Courage and with hath served thee well. Thou hast been promoted to the next level.I totally heard the Dragon Warrior level up music in my head when I read that.
Just as planned.
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Both my examples happen to be Paladins at level 2, but anyway...
Zathe Dakamon, having just hit level 2 Paladin-
Zathe busied himself helping with the wounded to the best of his abilities and offering encouragement to his men and compliments on those whose battle prowess he had witnessed personally. Although Zathe was a little weary from the struggle, he kept his shoulders high and ignored the weight of his armour as he worked.
After doing his best to attend to the wounded, Zathe became continually frustrated at his inability to do more. The next night, he stayed awake until the dawn, solemnly praying to Erastil to aid him in his struggle to defend others from evil- or in this case, from vicious Ankhegs. The next day, Zathe was exhausted; but his prayers had seemingly been answered. Erastil had granted him healing hands.
Malthir al Dagon, Paladin 2-
There are several nights that Malthir talks Casimir into re-telling the stories of their battles and trials so far in the Greenbelt. It helps to remind him of the good so far they have done in the area, but how much there is still left to do.
Later in the week Malthir emerges from their beds early one day in just his skivies carrying his longsword...and drops to his knees- I have been blessed by our Lady of the Sword! She came to me last night and blessed me! As Oleg looks on with strange look in his eye and several party member look out wondering if he has lost his mind, he takes his sword and proceeds to slice his hand open. The blood flowing freely from the wound, he then concentrates and the wounds quickly seals itself and he looks at his hand in wonderment...
I don't consider it a purely mechanical change when character gain new abilities and are aware of their increased power/prowess...
I give some attention and development to the leveling and training of characters.
I don't want to consider these as a "Levelup" like in Diablo.
I expect my players to justify one way or another their new abilities, feats or spells, as well as the development of new skills.
Now of course it can depend on case by case.
Some abilities are raising by themselves and are more mechanics of the game than new things to learn, such as hit points, BAB, saves or spell points.
It can also include the augmentation of some existing abilities, like some feat chains, already developed skills, or class abilities such as bardic music, sneak attacks or turn undead.
By opposition, the new stuff has to be learned, it can be subject to research, training and even fees to professional trainers.
This includes new class abilities, new spells, new powers, new dedication to a skill never practiced before, multiclassing in a new class and so on.
According to the amount of new abilities, there can be a required time to research and train.
This gives opportunities for the characters which belong to some organizations, guilds, units or cults. They can benefit from the infrastructure, training and supplies from their organizations.
On the opposite, independent characters might have to find trainers or resources for the new abilities they want to learn.
If the character gains enough experience to level up in the middle of an adventure, I let them apply all of their new mathematical bonuses (hit points, saves, etc.) immediately. If they gain new powers, or new spells, I require downtime for training, preparation, whatever the case may be.
My party:
Monk--New powers are new secrets he learns from his masters
Artificer--New powers result from him tinkering about in his garage
Wizard--New spells and metamagic feats are learned at the wizards' college he attends
Ranger--Is in the army
So far no-one has multiclassed (they're only 3rd level), so that subject hasn't popped up yet, but my players are "roleplayers" enough that they probably wouldn't even consider multiclassing unless they found some story reason to do so (the ranger is considering taking levels in cleric after being converted and spending time hanging out with the local priestess).
I used to go with all the formalized training rules back in the day as level was more intrinsically tied to characterization (name level, etc). Further it served as a period of downtime and a method for removing cash from the party.
From a world design perspective I do like having some mechanism that slows down level advancement so that you don't have the zero-to-hero in 80 days phenomenon. Also the I think that it makes sense for new class features, feats, spells, skills, etc to require some time to practice under controlled settings before deploying in the real world.
While you can use the conceit that character X has been working on learning a new set of spells all along and suddenly has a flash of insight that unlocks their use that seems more appropriate for other casters (such as sorcerers).
I don't formalize it with some level X 1000 gp system borrowed from old dragon magazines but instead say after some period of downtime studying, working out, etc the new class features show up.