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

[Buttercup]

I award XP at the end of every session. If that award results in leveling up, then they take care of it before next session.

I've thought about requiring training to begin taking levels in a new class, but haven't ever implemented it. However, it looks like we may be starting a new campaign soon, so I'll probably institute this rule.

 

[Altalazar]

I hand out exp at the end of a session. If anyone levels, they take care of it between sessions, though they roll for hit points usually right away.

On rare occasion, I've given exp and had players level up in the middle of a session if it makes sense to do so (they were close and they are nearing the BBEG or whatever and really want to buff up).

For new classes and such things, it really just is a matter of what makes the most sense. Perhaps a teacher is needed or a library. Perhaps that can come from someone in the group or was already role-played on an on-going basis before reaching that point. There is no hard and fast rule for me.

As far as skills - I really like skill based systems, like runequest, where you check off skills you've used and then roll to see if you raise a skill at the end of a session. But the thing is, D&D just isn't a system designed around that concept. So I'd object rather loudly if I wasn't allowed to spend skill points on a skill due to something like that. Especially when you consider skills can be very important for getting prestige classes and can also find new use each session. I think using such a rule is trying to ram a Cthlulu shaped square peg into a D&D shaped round hole.

 

[Henry]

Calico Jack, I don't see anything wrong mechanically with your system, especially since it's Call of Cthulhu we're talking about here, where there are very few bonuses to hand out. In D&D, it might be more problematic. How do you handle hit points, etc.? Do you let them level in Hit dice and BAB normally, or do you cap them in some way?

As for justifying sudden knowledge in a skill, it's easy using in-game rationales. It can be anything from, "The subject never came up before, but he has had history on a sailing ship," to "Squirrly the swabby taught him everything he knows while on the party's first journey, and he took to it like a fish to water." Both are well-known literary tropes that work for an RPG, as well.

If you were designing a classless and levelless d20 or OGL system, your method would work well to emulating the old BRP Cthulhu style of skill increase.

 

[Nifft]

XP at the end of each session, level up then or at the beginning of the next (or at home for players who don't need to consult with me).

I sometimes wish they'd take some down-time so plot elements can advance...

-- N

 

[Cor Azer]

I sometimes wish they'd take some down-time so plot elements can advance...

-- N

That's why I instituted training times... to more or less encourage downtime for other things to happen around the world.

Plus, I'm strongly limiting transportation magics, so the party (even with some of the druid's flight spells) has to take several days (often weeks) to travel from one end of their kingdom to the other.

 

[Wormwood]

Out of curiosity, how do you justify someone buying points in a Knowledge or Profession where they have no skill points before. For example, say your party knows they are going to be having to travel by ship soon but enroute to the port city they gain enough experience to level up and one of your players puts several points into Profession: Sailor. They have never been on a boat, sailed on a boat, or anything like that but do you still let them put points in it?

It's their character, not mine.

As long as it's within the rules we agreed to (3.5 + house rules), they can do whatever they want.

Mazeltov, I say.

 

[Cor Azer]

Out of curiosity, how do you justify someone buying points in a Knowledge or Profession where they have no skill points before. For example, say your party knows they are going to be having to travel by ship soon but enroute to the port city they gain enough experience to level up and one of your players puts several points into Profession: Sailor. They have never been on a boat, sailed on a boat, or anything like that but do you still let them put points in it?

Stuff like that doesn't really bother me, as long as it is possible to learn the skill in question. So a person could learn Profession(Sailing) generally as long as boats have been seen somewhere near there before. As others have said, the person may just have a 'knack' for it. As for how to start it, you'd be surprised what you can pick up by overhearing people.

Now, if it's something that isn't reasonable to be learned, then the player needs to explain the how - I've had 3 lost languages mentioned in my current game, and the characters had to hunt down teachers so they could eventually learn them (which they wanted despite comprehend languages being available; nobody had tongues yet though).

 

[Beale Knight]

I work out XP after the game and e-mail the results as soon as possible, usually the next morning. If new levels are reached it takes the character a day devoted to workling and training to actually advance the level and reap all the benefits. If there's a new class involved it's more complicated, but that's something the player and I have worked out in advance.

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.

The last D&D campaign I ran (2nd edition when it was new- awhile back) I was talked into this from that same argument. I had been insisting on the long weeks of training mentioned in the 1e DMG (IIRC).

While I no longer think weeks are needed, I've ruled that some time is needed for mind and body to focus on what they've figured out they can do. That is -during a battle they may do a new fancy combat move and realize that they can do it, but in the heat of the battle they weren't able to focus on HOW they managed to do it. That's what the day of training is all about.

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 let that time be less than a month, but I do require that PCs planning to multiclass get with me in advance about it. I'm all for characters multiclassing as much as they want to, but I don't like the idea of the L5 barbarian spontaniously gaining a level in wizard and suddenly and unexpectedly having the same abilities it took the wizard PC years of apprenticing and studying to obtain.