<<DMs Only>> How do you let your players level up?

[Calico_Jack73]

I was just curious how most of you handle player level-ups? One of my players recently left my game because he didn't like how I had them level up. I like the Call of Cthulhu method for skill leveling so each time they perform a skill successfully they put a tik next to the skill. When they level up they make a skill roll DC 30 for each skill they performed successfully. If they FAIL they can freely spend skill points on that skill. If they SUCCEED then they didn't learn anything they didn't already know. If they didn't use that skill then their only option is to seek training either by themselves or with a tutor. If they can't spend all of their skill points at once when they level up then so be it. They keep them until they can spend them so they don't go away. I like the system and I've used it for some time.

Anyway, do you just let your players instantly level up or do you handle it differently and if it is differently then how do you do it?

 

[arwink]

I hand out XP, look accross the table and ask "Anyone level up?"

Then I hope the people who have are wise enough to have updated their character sheets by next session.

 

[Henry]

In our FR Game, I award XP at the end of the session. Someone who already has training in an existing class goes up a level without needing to train - I rationalize that in their adventuring they learn, they untap new potential they didn't realize before, and can now do things because the daily behind-the scenes training and trial and error pay off. You don't see Conan train, but you do see Conan get better.

If they want to pick up a new class, they have to search out a teacher, and spend time with them. This may require money, a task, or a debt to be repaid. The time is usually a month or possibly more, depending on the storyline.

 

[mikebr99]

In our FR Game, I award XP at the end of the session. Someone who already has training in an existing class goes up a level without needing to train - I rationalize that in their adventuring they learn, they untap new potential they didn't realize before, and can now do things because the daily behind-the scenes training and trial and error pay off. You don't see Conan train, but you do see Conan get better.

If they want to pick up a new class, they have to search out a teacher, and spend time with them. This may require money, a task, or a debt to be repaid. The time is usually a month or possibly more, depending on the storyline.

I'll second this as my preferential method also... our campaign currently involves a lot of travel, and the party doesn't have time to stop.

Mike

 

[Mystic_23]

We do levelling pretty loosely. We don't require any training or anything of that nature. I can see the point of why people would require that. I also like Henry's way, but I don't think I could get my group into it.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I assume, barring some special case like "must have approval of the High Harper" or the like, that the character has been training in his off-time...writing snippets of spells here and there, working out, training themselves to learn a new feat, etc. When they get the XP needed to up a level, it's pretty much instantaneous. The just managed to complete that spell, finally figured out how to use that new feat, found out how to get that new power of that prestige class, etc. etc.

 

[Li Shenron]

In our FR Game, I award XP at the end of the session. Someone who already has training in an existing class goes up a level without needing to train - I rationalize that in their adventuring they learn, they untap new potential they didn't realize before, and can now do things because the daily behind-the scenes training and trial and error pay off. You don't see Conan train, but you do see Conan get better.

I also think this is the best way to go. My vision is that the character improvement is the result of what he has been doing during the whole last level. Same for feats, each of which is the result of training ("off the scene") since last time you got a feat. The fact that you get everything at once is only an abstraction to let the game be easily playable.

I like the idea of otherwise using training in general - although I have never used it because I was afraid it might become annoying soon - but I think that requiring training at the point you level up is simply metagaming.

If they want to pick up a new class, they have to search out a teacher, and spend time with them. This may require money, a task, or a debt to be repaid. The time is usually a month or possibly more, depending on the storyline.

I haven't used this idea but I find it interesting. That is a thing which could be treated differently, at least if the new class grants at once something like proficiency with all martial weapons or all armors, or a totally new spellcasting ability.

 

[Orryn Emrys]

I'm pretty liberal in allowing the PC's to level up at their own discretion, but they do have to be capable of explaining how they gained any new skills, feats, spells, classes, etcetera. Oftentimes, my players work to clarify the direction of their character's development well before their next level; they're so character-oriented, anyway, that not a one of them would even consider a development that wasn't logically grounded in the character's experiences. Consequentially, I make every effort to work with the players one-on-one to aid them in developing the PC's as they wish... going so far as to provide appropriate opportunities within the game for their characters to explore new and interesting options.

Of course, the easier and more obvious the route provided, the more difficult the road, often requiring a greater degree of personal sacrifice to achieve the character's goals... particularly in the case of characters who pursue multiple paths...

 

[Crothian]

Nothing special about our level ups here. THey all level up at the same time, other then that pretty standard.

 

[Grayhawk]

Here's my house rule:

'Some amount of rest/reflection/training is required to level up. Upon reahing a new level characters immediately (after 1 night's sleep) gain the benefit of increased HP, BAB, saves & (possibly) stat increase. New class abilities, feats, skills and spells require training to take effect. At the end of each trainingday, a d20 check is made vs a DC of 15; success indicates that all level-up benefits take effect after 1 night's sleep.'