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

[Sound of Azure]

Characters need to spend a number of days equal to their new level -2 (minimum 1) in down-time to level up. You can halve the result by getting training from a relevent mentor. Certain classes require training to enter (clerics, fighters, wizards), while others may have other requirements and/or time.

You can reduce the time by 2 days by decreasing your next level's action points by 1. You can't reduce the time needed to train below 1 day.

 

[Agamon]

Every PC I've DMed or played has had on-the-job training.

 

[MerricB]

AD&D: Never used training rules
D&D 3E: used training rules for about 2 levels before abandoning them because I was running time-dependent games.

Cheers!

 

[Rothe]

Currently, you can advance at the end of a session (I calculate xp at the end of every session) so sometimes multiple times in a big dungeon.

Afterwards I require some training if you went up more than one level, to have what you learn "stick." You don't need a trainer, but having one helps. I don't make it hard and you can do many other things while "training."

It is also not a matter of decreasing wealth but simply to make sure some in-game time passes between jumps in level. I think of the instant advance as a battle field promotion or being "in the zone." Once you step away from the constant danger you need something to make it all sink in.

I don't do a lot of time dependent story arcs, but if I did I'd probably soak up days by travel.

 

[Arkham]

Don't use training rules. The PCs gain exp and level at the end of the session. The wizards get their new spell slots, but without a spell in them. When they finally get some downtime, do their new spells known appear in their spell books.

 

[Oryan77]

I used training rules at low level. By 5th lvl they level up after receiving the correct xp. I realized it wasn't convenient to require training in the middle of an adventure. So I think of it as the PC's training while in actual live encounters.

 

[Lanefan]

I make 'em train...usually takes a few weeks (except for one or two classes), and costs about 1000 g.p. per level being trained into. Around 9th-11th level, depending on class, the character can train itself; before then, it needs a mentor or trainer.

There's a lot more detail to it, but that's what it boils down to.

If a character cannot or will not train, it runs before long into an escalating ExP penalty and its advancement eventually slows to a crawl.

Lanefan

 

[Raloc]

If the PC is advancing within a class or PrC I require them to undertake no training, but if they multi-class or take a PrC, they have to 1) in gamedly learn about what needs to be done 2) find someone that can confer the needed expertise. This sort of thing also replies to other types of training (so, for instance, if one of the characters wanted to become a lich, they'd have to go out and actually buy 75k worth of laboratory equipment and do research etc. Also applies that way to languages, they either need to find someone that knows the appropriate language and will teach them over time (basically they need to start before they get the 2 skill points to use) or find tomes etc. that will help them learn based on languages they already know (i.e., for intelligent chars). One character IMC just journeyed back to Thay (his hometown is Eltabbar) from Amn to undertake the tests and training required to gain his red robes and be inducted into the ranks of the Red Wizards.

 

[loki44]

Not running any games currently.

In the AoW 3.5 game that I'm playing in the DM is requiring a week of training with an appropriate mentor per level. Wait, that doesn't make sense exactly.....it's 1 week to progress to 2nd, 2 weeks to progress to 3rd, 3 weeks for 4th and so on. Much of our last session took place in Diamond Lake while we were training but the DM interspersed that time with other pressing activities. We role-played the training and it was fun.

The OD&D game I play in operates on a similar format. Trying to work in the downtime necessary for training, and finding the appropriate trainor, are both worthy and fun game tasks.

I'm all in favor of building in a training component though I can also understand that there are certain games that don't readily allow for the downtime necessary for training due to strict plot time constraints. It's not hard to fast forward through training periods ala Kung Fu Theater if needs be.

 

[brainstorm]

No training or XP - level once per session

I've used training and XP in my campaigns in the past, but I've switched over to a new way of handling leveling for my current and future campaigns. Provided our gaming sessions are productive (meaning we spend more time gaming than watching tv or shooting the breeze), I have each player level up at the end of each session. This allows me to get a full campaign squeezed into 20 sessions, which takes us about 2 years given the current frequency of our play. The advantages to this are that the players don't get bored with the campaign or their characters, as they have new powers/abilities to look forward to in each session. As DM, I get to run though a fast-paced, movie-like story, use high-level monsters more frequently and don't have to mess with book keeping XPs. And, I get to start a new campaign every 2 years or so knowing that I wrapped up my last campaign and didn't leave it dangling at 7th or 8th level, like so many of my past campaigns have been.