I could have swore that I read SOMEWHERE that when you level (say 1st to 2nd) that extra xp beyond the amount needed to get to level 2 is dropped. Is this correct, or do you level to 2nd and half way to third? Im getting old and memory is kinda going on the blink :). Our dm allowed us to progress from first to 1/2 to 3rd. (fine by me, but i would like to know for sure). It could be something i am picking up from a house rule or older version...
You take the exact XP. If you had 500 and got 1000 at the end of a session then you'd have 1500 XP. On the fast advancement chart it takes 1300 for 2nd, so you'd be second level and 200 XP on the way to 3rd.
Simply put, you keep a running total of XP and anytime that total reaches the XP for the next level, you advance.
Depending on the GM, you might even advance during a session. Our group has always played it that way. If players get enough to advance from an encounter (usually because they were already close after a previous encounter) we allow them to level as soon as the encounter ends. If they gained new spells they don't get those until they rest to recover spells, but they get to increase BAB, add new hit points, etc.
Our rationale is like this: you're a fighter who's been working for weeks to perfect a new move, a blade twist you can't quite get. Then suddenly it comes to you right in combat; you make the connection between what you've been trying to learn and how to do it. That's how people learn in the real world.
I've never heard of such a thing. There are a lot of different ideas out there regarding how experience works, or should work, but by RAW
Advancing Your Character[/b]]A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.
As soon as a character gets enough experience they level up. That doesn't mean all the experience beyond what is required gets taken away. At my game, as they suggest above, I tally up experience at the end of every session, and players tally it on their character's sheet. Sometimes at the end of the session they realize they've leveled up and then some. IMHO it would be unfair, and a little mean, to take away earned experience just because they gained a new level.
Of course, as always, YMMV.
Edit: Ninja'd by Kantrip.
I've never heard of such a thing. There are a lot of different ideas out there regarding how experience works, or should work, but by RAWAdvancing Your Character[/b]]A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.As soon as a character gets enough experience they level up. That doesn't mean all the experience beyond what is required gets taken away. At my game, as they suggest above, I tally up experience at the end of every session, and players tally it on their character's sheet. Sometimes at the end of the session they realize they've leveled up and then some. IMHO it would be unfair, and a little mean, to take away earned experience just because they gained a new level.
Of course, as always, YMMV.
Edit: Ninja'd by Kantrip.
I must have been picking that up as a houserule or something. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks Guys!
I've never heard of such a thing. There are a lot of different ideas out there regarding how experience works, or should work, but by RAWI must have been picking that up as a houserule or something. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks Guys!Advancing Your Character[/b]]A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.As soon as a character gets enough experience they level up. That doesn't mean all the experience beyond what is required gets taken away. At my game, as they suggest above, I tally up experience at the end of every session, and players tally it on their character's sheet. Sometimes at the end of the session they realize they've leveled up and then some. IMHO it would be unfair, and a little mean, to take away earned experience just because they gained a new level.
Of course, as always, YMMV.
Edit: Ninja'd by Kantrip.
You may have been overreading from the rule that says you can't level up more than once. If you receive enough XP to level up twice, then you gain enough experience to level up and just enough experience to not get the next level.
For realism, I typically only allow PCs to actually level up when they have an opportunity for some downtime to consider what they've learned, and possibly get helpful (although not mandatory) instruction in new feats, etc. The way I ran my campaign, there was plenty of opportunity for such downtime.
I've allowed an Intelligence check to level in the middle of an adventure.
But this is a house rule. I suppose as written, as soon as you get your XP you can level up, but I suppose as written, I could withdraw the XP until the PCs have an "honest rest", and then they level up.
I've never heard of such a thing. There are a lot of different ideas out there regarding how experience works, or should work, but by RAWI must have been picking that up as a houserule or something. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks Guys!Advancing Your Character[/b]]A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.As soon as a character gets enough experience they level up. That doesn't mean all the experience beyond what is required gets taken away. At my game, as they suggest above, I tally up experience at the end of every session, and players tally it on their character's sheet. Sometimes at the end of the session they realize they've leveled up and then some. IMHO it would be unfair, and a little mean, to take away earned experience just because they gained a new level.
Of course, as always, YMMV.
Edit: Ninja'd by Kantrip.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's an older d&d rule. The surplus exp is dropped in Neverwinter Nights, for example, which was based on 3.0.
Oh another thing: I've heard that in older systems, the exp you earned changed based upon your current level. If you had to split exp between the amount you needed and the surplus, you'd need to adjust the surplus to a smaller amount... Probably to confusing, so they just chose to drop it. (Exp in Pathfinder is just a flat amount to characters of all levels)
I must have been picking that up as a houserule or something. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks Guys!
In my other games, like palladium, I also have a house rule that rarely comes up, and that's that you can only level up one level at a time, but again, it's just a house rule.
If you as a first level character manage to somehow defeat a phoenix for example, then you instantly go to level 8 with 200 extra xp...
I think the reason for this was back with D&D 3.x you would spend xp on things other than simply gaining levels, such as certain spells and crafting items & magic...
I must have been picking that up as a houserule or something. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks Guys!In my other games, like palladium, I also have a house rule that rarely comes up, and that's that you can only level up one level at a time, but again, it's just a house rule.
If you as a first level character manage to somehow defeat a phoenix for example, then you instantly go to level 8 with 200 extra xp...
I think the reason for this was back with D&D 3.x you would spend xp on things other than simply gaining levels, such as certain spells and crafting items & magic...
I think it was either a lefover from a older version or I was mixing up the "cant jump 2 levels" thing. Thanks for the answers guys!
It could also be semi-remembering what happens with cohorts under the Leadership feat. At best they can be two levels behind you. So if they pick up enough XP to bring them closer than that (ie. they level before you), they stay at 1 XP below what they need to level, until you level.
Goes waaaaaaaaaay back to Basic-Expert D&D.
Showing my age with that one :)