D&D 5E (2024) GMs: How long should it usually take to go from level 1 to 4?

[DragonLancer]

Isn't that just pure DM fiat, though? They level when you decide they level?

Yes, it can be interpreted that way but it's still not a bad thing. Player's can have agency but the DM can't?

I've been using Milestone XP for nearly 20 years and myself and the people I play with, find it works much better, more organic, than tracking XP. Different groups will obviously vary.

 

[Hussar]

The funny thing about milestones, from my own experience, is that xp or milestones don't really make a whole lot of different. The party levels up at exactly the same rate. I mean, look at this thread, most of us can ballpark how many sessions it's going to take to hit level 4 before play has even begun.

Sure, we might be off by a session or two either way, but, by and large, you know your group and you know how you play. I remember years ago running the World's Largest Dungeon and I was doing xp tracking. Then, I went back over my notes and realized that I could just level the party up every X sessions.

So, I tracked it for a couple of levels - made an estimate when they leveled up as to when they would level up the next time and it turned out that my estimates were pretty much spot on. The party still leveled up pretty much on schedule. That's when I largely dumped XP and just went milestone. It really doesn't make any difference and it saves a bunch of futzing about with tracking XP.

 

[payn]

The funny thing about milestones, from my own experience, is that xp or milestones don't really make a whole lot of different. The party levels up at exactly the same rate. I mean, look at this thread, most of us can ballpark how many sessions it's going to take to hit level 4 before play has even begun.

Sure, we might be off by a session or two either way, but, by and large, you know your group and you know how you play. I remember years ago running the World's Largest Dungeon and I was doing xp tracking. Then, I went back over my notes and realized that I could just level the party up every X sessions.

So, I tracked it for a couple of levels - made an estimate when they leveled up as to when they would level up the next time and it turned out that my estimates were pretty much spot on. The party still leveled up pretty much on schedule. That's when I largely dumped XP and just went milestone. It really doesn't make any difference and it saves a bunch of futzing about with tracking XP.

Even modern built games like PF2 the XP system is merely a tracking piece. 100XP for an encounter, do X amount of encounters and level up. It annoyed some folks how basic the math worked. I know folks who really enjoy XP, like Lanefan, want granularity to show progress independently based on contribution. I dont know many folks who desire that anymore, if any. I do know plenty of GMs that find that work to be tedious like a GMs version of weight, ammo, food tracking. Not interesting or particularly fun to do. YMMV.

 

[MGibster]

The recommended starting level for 2024 is level 3. So it will take even less time to get to level 4. Less than 3 sessions.

 

[Lanefan]

The funny thing about milestones, from my own experience, is that xp or milestones don't really make a whole lot of different. The party levels up at exactly the same rate. I mean, look at this thread, most of us can ballpark how many sessions it's going to take to hit level 4 before play has even begun.

Sure, we might be off by a session or two either way, but, by and large, you know your group and you know how you play. I remember years ago running the World's Largest Dungeon and I was doing xp tracking. Then, I went back over my notes and realized that I could just level the party up every X sessions.

So, I tracked it for a couple of levels - made an estimate when they leveled up as to when they would level up the next time and it turned out that my estimates were pretty much spot on. The party still leveled up pretty much on schedule. That's when I largely dumped XP and just went milestone. It really doesn't make any difference and it saves a bunch of futzing about with tracking XP.

Where it makes a difference is if you are giving individual xp based on who participated in what and not giving xp to characters who aren't there e.g. because they're dead or stayed behind or don't happen to be in the part of a split party that found some action. In other words, not everyone gets the same xp. Eventually, this leads to characters bumping at different times.

It also makes a difference if there's any character turnover and new (or returning) characters come in at a different level than existing ones.

And if you're using a system where each class has its own progression table a la TSR-era D&D, they'll always bump at different times.

 

[ECMO3]

The funny thing about milestones, from my own experience, is that xp or milestones don't really make a whole lot of different. The party levels up at exactly the same rate. I mean, look at this thread, most of us can ballpark how many sessions it's going to take to hit level 4 before play has even begun.

They do in the games I play.

We did not even get to level 2 on Monday in a new campaign (XP game). That is the first time ever in 5E this happened to me.

I also got a TPD fighting 17 Kobolds, which probably had something to do with it

 

[The Soloist]

When I played solo last Winter, I did this progression, without tallying XPs:

• 1 session for level 2.
• 2 sessions for level 3.
• 3 sessions for level 4.

I did not continue, but I would do 3 sessions per level afterwards, even with a group.

 

[Zardnaar]

They do in the games I play.

We did not even get to level 2 on Monday in a new campaign (XP game). That is the first time ever in 5E this happened to me.

I also got a TPD fighting 17 Kobolds, which probably had something to do with it

17 kobolds is a lot low level.

 

[ECMO3]

17 kobolds is a lot low level.

I think we killed 6 before we were downed, so it was not even close. They ambushed us too.

That was the 4th fight of the campaign, although it was right after a long rest. Previously we had defeated 5 shadows, 2 shadows and a skeletal warhorse and 4 Hobgoblins. We had just looted the Hobs (4 suits of Halfplate at level 1!), took a long rest and then went into the next area where the Kobolds were. We are playing with 6PCs otherwise we would have leveled I am sure.

In the end we were revived by the bad guy, their leader, a half-orc. He stripped us naked and threw into the slums with 1hp no money or treasure (no more halfplate )

So we are starting next week still level 1 with no gear, no money, no spellbook for the Wizard and the same mission ahead of us.

I think the plan is to wander around the slums until we get attacked so we can get enough XP to level and have a few weapons.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think we killed 6 before we were downed, so it was not even close. They ambushed us too.

That was the 4th fight of the campaign, although it was right after a long rest. Previously we had defeated 5 shadows, 2 shadows and a skeletal warhorse and 4 Hobgoblins. We had just looted the Hobs (4 suits of Halfplate at level 1!), took a long rest and then went into the next area where the Kobolds were. We are playing with 6PCs otherwise we would have leveled I am sure.

In the end we were revived by the bad guy, their leader, a half-orc. He stripped us naked and threw into the slums with 1hp no money or treasure (no more halfplate )

So we are starting next week still level 1 with no gear, no money, no spellbook for the Wizard and the same mission ahead of us.

I think the plan is to wander around the slums until we get attacked so we can get enough XP to level and have a few weapons.

Lol interesting DM. I take it easy on lvl 1 espicially newbies.
Hence my high praise for DoSWI for starter adventure.