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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6396155" data-attributes="member: 6680772">This is also something that I didn't realize I'd missed until it came back.  One pro is that you can introduce someone new to the game into a group of veterans and let them learn their character as they go along, without having to get a handle on a whole bunch of class features and the like.So, some numbers...In terms of catching up, the largest disparity possible is 1st level and 5th level.  The 1st level character will reach 5th level before the rest of the party gets to 6th.  Afterwards, the late-starter will alternate between catching up and being a level behind.  If the party is at 6th level, the 1st level character will never catch up, as they will get to 7th before he or she gets to 6th.  The advancement curve is much more steady after that, with no jump to another level being big enough for the late-coming character to catch up.  OTOH, they'll only ever be 1 or 2 levels behind.If you start at the lowest level for a particular tier, the late-comer can at least momentarily catch-up with a party that starts a level ahead, but otherwise will always be behind at roughly the same disparity as when starting.  On the whole though, there's never more than 1 point difference in proficiency, and maybe 1 point difference in primary ability bonuses, maybe two with the fighter, given their greater number of ability boosts.In the most extreme case, with a late-comer joining a 19th level party, if the late-comer starts at 1st or 5th level, they'll reach 9th level before the party gets to 20.  If the late-comer starts at 11th level, they'll get to level 13.  If they start at 17th level, they'll get to level 18.Interestingly, if one looks at <a href="http://www.sisterworlds.com/olde/2e/xp.htm" target="_blank">this table</a>, in AD&D once a character hits a certain level (9th level for Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, and Clerics, 11th level for Wizards and Thieves), it takes the same amount of XP to reach the next level as it took to reach that particular level, 9th or 11th.  So if you start a fighter at 1st level in a group of 9th level fighters, he'll reach 9th when they reach 10th, and then stay at that disparity from then on.</blockquote>

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