How do you handle level progression in your D&D games

[tx7321]

In 1E and 3E we trained under a person(s) once eaps were hit. I've always seen in done this way, but on another thread I've found others never played this way.

 

[Crothian]

We don't train. These days I hand out XP at the end of sessions and the level when they level. Next campaign though I'm going for a goals oriented XP system so they will only gain levels after the completion of goals and try that for a while.

 

[Dragon Mage]

I also did that in 1E and 2E. However, in 3E I only require someone to train you when learning a new class (for multiclassing).

 

[shilsen]

No training. PCs go up in level when they have enough XP. XP is independent of CR or anything that actually happens during the sessions, and is awarded based on how fast I want the PCs to be advancing.

 

[Piratecat]

We train, and have always done so. The time averages out to a week per two levels -- but I combine that with magic item creation time, to a certain extent.

 

[Mouseferatu]

No training. PCs go up in level when they have enough XP. XP is independent of CR or anything that actually happens during the sessions, and is awarded based on how fast I want the PCs to be advancing.

I'm sort of like this, although I do award extra XP for great RP, really creative ideas, and the like.

That is, I do it that way when I bother to use XP at all. Since most of my players don't much care about things like magic item creation, I've run some campaigns where I just say "Okay, level up" every few games, and we don't bother with XP at all.

 

[3d6]

I've never seen training in a game. People gain a level at the end of a session in which they earned enough XP to do so.

 

[Bagpuss]

We train, and have always done so. The time averages out to a week per two levels -- but I combine that with magic item creation time, to a certain extent.

When you say train do you mean...

a) A set amount of downtime needs to be spent either in a arcane library or sparring, etc.
b) A set amount of cash needs to be paid to be trained by some NPC.
c) All of the above.


In our group we gain levels after a night rest assuming you have enough. Mind you we are currently playing an adventure path and they are tough enough as it is without you being under level because you've not had time for training.

Training doesn't make sense to me with some classes (fighters), for example, who just tend to get better at doing what they are doing (surely fighting real opponents is better practice than training against dummies). It also makes less sense to me at higher levels since who are you meant to be trained by when you know more than everybody around. Wizards spending time in libraries to gain their next level of spells makes some sense, but it makes no sense for a sorcerer.

 

[Desdichado]

In my current game, a guy with a laptop figures xp after every fight, and if we level, we actually stop the game for a few minutes and level our characters on the spot.

When I ran, I ditched XP entirely and arbitrarily let folks level when "modules" were complete.

 

[Mark CMG]

How do you handle level progression in your D&D games?

Mostly up to the players.