Do your characters know what level they are?

[Evilhalfling]

hmm I posted that the charcaters and NPC's knew what level they are,
but rereading this post I found I kneed to clarify.
The players are activily aware and willing to make metagame like assumptions from the number of an enemy mages magic missles.
But they are never told anything, its just observational.
The only exception is when a formal duel or martial arts bout is just starting.
Then there is a round or two of probeing, and observation which I simulate by calling for a sense motive check - this would give a realtive estimate of power
i.e you fight better but he is stronger, a preview of expected feats - watch out for this monks leg sweep or this fighters defensive fighting style.
I suppose I would give this same info if anyone used an action to size up an enemy - but no PC has ever inquired *shrug*
I could forsee that at somepoint they would be good enough to do it faster, but it had'nt occured to me.
Anyone want to suggest when this would become easy ?
- prolly based on BAB

 

[Liolel]

Chacters in game are somewhat aware of their level. They know when the've leveled up as the overall skill increase most levels is somewhat noticable. Spellcasters have an easier time with their level as spell levels are both an ingame and out of game mechanic. They also can get an idea by certain spells with things like a 1 round per level duration. Basicly no one knows their level ingame but ingame they would be able to get close by certain tests.

Of course meta game wise all players know all of their characters statistics and are free to use them however they want, but if the king asks how they are skilled enougth to help and the fighter says he's a 10th level fighter he's going to get some strange looks in game.

 

[Lo Zeno]

My players can tell who's stronger than who, in a certain field, but they can not tell the exact levels of their foes. Each player knows his/her character's level, but they can't "tell the other", because there is nothing In-Game that relates to level.
Sometimes though, they find In-Game clues to an NPC's score (BAB, skill bonus, strength...) when they see, for example, an archer shooting a bull's eye where a PC with a BAB +9 wasn't able to hit.

Spellcaster in my game aren't able to tell a character's level based on his spells because I use a Magic Point system that let's you cast spells that are incredibly powerful also at the lowest levels (leaving you drained of ANY MP and some hit points too if you do it).

 

[Peskara]

My characters never know what level they are, not even the spellcasters. They can determine how skilled they are relative to another character (e.g. I am a better swordsman than so-and-so). Wizards can determine the limits of their knowledge (e.g. This spell is too complex for me to master yet; my control is strong enough to send this magic so far, or make it last so long). Divine spellcasters know how well they have proven themselves in the service of their deity (e.g. I can channel this much of my goddess' power in this fashion). And so on in similar fashion for the other classes.

I really hate it when player knowledge and assumptions creep into IC knowledge. Even if I know what level the bad guys or my allies are, if my character has no way to know what tricks they can pull out I have her act accordingly: "Can't you just make with the holiness or something?" I've been able to have my characters do some fun and daring things that they would never do if they know an opponent's stat block.

 

[Cassius_the_Elf]

In my game the players tend to know what level they and all the other players are (and their henchmench/npc characters also).

The spellcasters can gauge other spellcasters levels by seeing them cast (and making a spellcraft check or just seeing 5 magic missiles or a Cone of Cold). The warriors can get a good idea of how powerful a swordsman is after seeing his moves and skills, his general demeanour at practise or in combat. A rogue tends to worry less if he can see his opponent and more if not.

All these things are pretty relative however, as a 1st level fighter in gleaming platemail with a glowing sword is likely to be thought of as a more competent soldier. Similarly a high priest travelling incognito and only casting a 'bless' and a 'command' might be thought of as a neophyte.

I cetainly would expect my players to have a concept of 'level' in theri opponents, just not to say it in that way. The fourth time a party had encountered a necromancer and joined battle I would expect the party wizard to say that he was a more powerful spellcaster than him, but not as powerful as his master, and the fighter to agree that the ghouls that he summoned were not powerful enough to worry him but the skeletal swordsman hit hard and seemed to have bones of steel. Not that the necro was at least 13th level and the skeleton had at least 10 HD!

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

We treat Game Jargon as Professional Adventurer jargon. Its like discussing ROM, RAM, Gigs, Megs, Burst Cache, and ASDL using TCPIP over a PCMCIA card. Only its Level, Hit Points, Saves, etc.

 

[Ibram]

from the characters pov there are no classes or levels (but then my NPC's tend to be multiclassed), only relative powers and abilities:

1) watch out for bob, hes a skilled warrior with great strenght (Ftr 3/Barb 2)
2) Sally is a skilled swordswoman, who uses a lightning quick attack style to catch her opponents of guard (Rog 4/Ftr 4)
3) that Jim is a strange one, living alone in the woods like that, they say he is a powerful wizard (Wiz 8)

characters hardly ever refer to themselves by their class, instead using titles like Mercenary or Swordsman (which have been used to describe Barbarians, Fighters, and Rogues)

 

[Caliber]

I read a series of novels where a group of DnD-like game players were transported into the game world. Levels were based on an Alphabetical code, so, for example, Ralph was a class R fighter (pretty high)

The characters in the books often thought that way, although they were really players in characters bodies. I don't remember if any of the non-players ever exposed similar thoughts.