Gaining 2 Levels from 1 Adventure's XP

[Garnfellow]

Many ages ago, in some past edition of D&D, there was a rule (or was it just a guideline?) to the effect that you could only gain enough XP from 1 adventure to increase 1 level. (I think there was also another rule that all XP over the minimum needed to reach the next level was lost.)

There's nothing like this in 3e, is there? Last night was the first time I've ever encountered a situation in 3e where there was so much XP from a single adventure that a character could advance 2 levels.

 

[glass]

Many ages ago, in some past edition of D&D, there was a rule (or was it just a guideline?) to the effect that you could only gain enough XP from 1 adventure to increase 1 level. (I think there was also another rule that all XP over the minimum needed to reach the next level was lost.)

IIRC, it was per encounter not per adventure.

EDIT: Actually, on reflection, I think it said in 'one go', so it would depend on how often you dished out XP. We did it after each encounter, hence my believing it was per encounter. If you only dished out XP after completing an adventure then it would have been one level per adventure, but that would make long adventures really tough...

There's nothing like this in 3e, is there? Last night was the first time I've ever encountered a situation in 3e where there was so much XP from a single adventure that a character could advance 2 levels.

No. Since the length of an advature is entirely arbitrary, such a rule would be rather strange. Should characters playing through Worlds Largest Dungeon remain 1st level all the way to the end?


glass.

 

[Infiniti2000]

If you play for 24 hours straight and have 50 encounters, the DM should pause every once in a while to hand out XP and allow you to level (whatever process that entails). If you gain enough XP in one encounter to level twice, that's a problem. You gain enough to be 1XP away from the NEXT level, no more. However, be advised that many ignore this rule (I do not). The reason they ignore it is to avoid the syndrome of: "Let's go kill a rat so I can level again."

 

[Nail]

I recently had this problem.

Heck, we gained enough XP in one gaming session to advance us all 2 levels!

I was pointed to the rule on page 58 of the PH (3.5e), "advancing a level". Read and weep.

Spoiler

And then ignore the strict RAW interpretation, as we did.

 

[irdeggman]

3.5 PHB pg 58

A character can advance only one level at a time. If, for some extraordinary reason, a character’s XP reward from a single adventure would be enough to advance two or more levels at once, he or she instead advances one level and gains just enough XP to be 1 XP short of the next level. Any excess experience points are not retained. For example, if Tordek has 5,000 XP (1,000 points short of 4th level) and gains 6,000 more, he would normally be at 11,000 XP—enough for 5th level. Instead he attains 4th level, and his XP total stands at 9,999.

I haven't found similar text in the 3.0 rules though.

It is strange that it states "per adventure" when in fact published "adventures" exceed this routinely.

I can only guess that what is meant by adventure is actually "breakpoints in the overall adventure", i.e., mini-adventures.

But it still doesn't change the text though.

 

[Nail]

I'd point you to the thread in which our party's dirty laundry was aired (and this problem discussed), but......the thread evaporated with the board crash. (Sigh)

 

[Nail]

It is strange that it states "per adventure" when in fact published "adventures" exceed this routinely.

Exactly.

When adventures published by WotC (heck: all adventure path modules published by WotC!) violate this rule.....you might as well violate it too.

 

[MarkB]

The rule in 3.5 is that a character can never earn enough XP at one time to level up twice. His total XP hits a ceiling equal to one less than the amount needed to reach the level after his current one, and stays that way until he levels up, after which he can start earning XP again.

This will generally only apply to characters who are deliberately refraining from levelling up in order to keep a reserve of XP for casting spells with an XP component, or for item creation. Even in such a situation, it would be unusual.

 

[irdeggman]

The rule in 3.5 is that a character can never earn enough XP at one time to level up twice. His total XP hits a ceiling equal to one less than the amount needed to reach the level after his current one, and stays that way until he levels up, after which he can start earning XP again.

That is how I would handle it (and do) but that is not what the rule specifically states (see above post for complete text). It says from a single adventure. Nothing in the DMG states to award xp "only" at the completion of an adventure.

 

[Nail]

This will generally only apply to characters who are deliberately refraining from levelling up in order to keep a reserve of XP for casting spells with an XP component, or for item creation.

Not true, unfortunately.

If you played it like the PH says you should (primary source), most PCs would reach the "1 XP ceiling" before an adventure is over.