[3.5] DMG - changes Q&A?

[Dimwhit]

Last session, my character had just achieved 10th level, while another character was some 200 experience away from 10th level. Although she started with fewer experience than me, she got significantly more experience from the session (since she was lower level), and now has about a thousand experience more than I have.

Oh, well -- them's the breaks!

I'm sure there's a logic behind that, but I sure don't see it.

Next time my 16th level Rogue dies, I'm bringing in a first-level guys who will stay in the background and fire a bow once. He could jump 10 levels in one encounter if the rules allowed. At the least, he'd be leveling every time experience was awarded for a while.

 

[Pielorinho]

I'm sure there's a logic behind that, but I sure don't see it.

Well, see, the ninth-level PC encountered more danger in that session, since her powers were lesser; she had to tax herself more than the 10th-level PC had to tax himself. When all was said and done, she'd stretched herself more than he'd stretched himself, learned more, and was therefore more advanced than he was.

If you squint real hard, you can see the logic .

More importantly, it's not a big deal; just a quirk of the system. Figuring out XP the old way has its own quirks: a 20th-level barbarian who kills a horde of trolls gains no experience at all, but if he brings along a single 1st-level archer who takes useless potshots at the trolls, that brings the average party level down enough that the barbarian can begin raking in the XP.

Daniel

 

[Will]

Using FR system, a 1st level character in a 16th level party would hit 16th level about the same time the rest of the party hits 20. Assuming he gains a level per session, and the rest of the party gains one per four.

The logic is that the current system is _awful_ if you have a serious gap of levels.

I was in a game where the DM decided 'new people come in at 1/2 party level.'

I went with it, until I figured out that I'd catch up with the rest of the party in about _10 freakin levels_. And until then I was a serious drain. Er, no thanks.

 

[Dimwhit]

Yeah, I guess I just don't quite buy the logic. The lower-level character will already reach his next level faster than the higher-level ones, so giving them a greater amount at the same time seems like overkill.

As for the second example, maybe the barbarian deserves experience when he's with a 1st level guys because now, not only does he kill them all easily, but he has to try to keep his comrade alive at the same time!

 

[Caliban]

It allows PC's with less XP to slowly catch up to the PC's with more XP, until everyone is roughly equal.

It avoids the "I'm always 1-2 levels ahead of you" that can happen under the old system.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Eric and others, thanks very much for the answers. The Terrain information sounds excellent, a really great help (not least because in your example it gives the druid woodland stride a bit more purpose!) I really appreciate that you provided a detailed look at that.

Cheers

 

[The It's Man]

I have heard that they get a caster level increase but no spells per day increase, which is weird.

I'm not sure I understood it 100% though, so take it with a grain of salt.

/me shakes fist

 

[InShambles]

Re: Re: [3.5] DMG - changes Q&A?

Other terrains covered include Marsh (includes moor and swamp, discusses terrain like bogs, quicksand and hedgerows)...

Wait a minute.... So now if there is a bustle around the hedgerow we SHOULD be alarmed now?


Edit: Speller's cramp.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Re: Re: Re: [3.5] DMG - changes Q&A?

Wait a minute.... So now if there is a bustle around the hedgerow we SHOULD be alarmed now?

Nah, still the May queen.