D&D 5E Level Up! DING, fries are done!

[ExploderWizard]

How do you enforce 120 days (4 months) of essentially doing nothing, in game? Does your game just have big "gaps"? Does the character "retire" until they have finished training?

I don't enforce inactivity. There are periods of downtime between major undertakings. There won't be enough downtime for such training until level 6 or so currently, then again after around 10th the way things are looking. Of course the characters are free to do what they want with their time. The world keeps moving no matter what though.

The character can just level up in their current class until there is enough time to take a level in another class. Any players who HAVE to take a level in class Y before level X or their build is just ruined I am MORE than happy to weed out of game. This leveling policy is like roundup for those types. It is thus working as intended.

 

[Sunseeker]

I don't enforce inactivity. There are periods of downtime between major undertakings. There won't be enough downtime for such training until level 6 or so currently, then again after around 10th the way things are looking. Of course the characters are free to do what they want with their time. The world keeps moving no matter what though.

The character can just level up in their current class until there is enough time to take a level in another class. Any players who HAVE to take a level in class Y before level X or their build is just ruined I am MORE than happy to weed out of game. This leveling policy is like roundup for those types. It is thus working as intended.

Alternatively, would you allow a player to refrain from leveling? They'd be the next level, but simply gain none of the perks from it.

 

[Sunseeker]

The encounters season March of the Phantom Brigade put these several month breaks right into the middle of the story. The characters wrapped up what they were doing and then had 3 months+ of downtime.

I guess I'm just not used to that.

 

[Riley37]

Alternatively, would you allow a player to refrain from leveling? They'd be the next level, but simply gain none of the perks from it.

Could that result in a character with 10 total levels... 9 levels in Fighter (with hit dice and class abilities), and a level not yet trained in any particular class (no hit die, or at least not yet)?

Things that one gets from total levels, which are not class-level-dependent:
- proficiency bonus
- various racial abilities, eg Dragonborn breath weapon damage
- XP to next level
- what else?

 

[Riley37]

How do you enforce 120 days (4 months) of essentially doing nothing, in game? Does your game just have big "gaps"? Does the character "retire" until they have finished training?

My players were debating, whether they should immediately handle some issues in their current location on the Iron Route outside Phlan; or whether they should make a beeline to Phlan, drop off their prisoner, and do level-up training. The latter has opportunity cost; what if, while they're training, the two bandit gangs entirely cut off Phlan's trade, resulting in widespread suffering? They were balancing their eagerness as players, to get their Level 5 DING! new abilities, with the most responsible course of action for their PCs.

This discussion happened before my ruling that they'd get almost all their level-up abilities in an overnight Long Rest, with advanced spells and so forth possibly "latent" until training happened. The ranger will gain Level 2 spell slots, but will wake up with no Level 2 spells known and prepared; of course, he can use those slots to overcast level 1 spells. (I might allow an Arcana check, high DC, to figure out, on his own, how to cast Cordon of Arrows, since he already knows Alarm.)

I am lucky and happy to DM for such players.

 

[Sunseeker]

Could that result in a character with 10 total levels... 9 levels in Fighter (with hit dice and class abilities), and a level not yet trained in any particular class (no hit die, or at least not yet)?

Things that one gets from total levels, which are not class-level-dependent:
- proficiency bonus
- various racial abilities, eg Dragonborn breath weapon damage
- XP to next level
- what else?

Yes, everything, they would be level 10 for XP calculating purposes only.

 

[SubDude]

I've been thinking of a rule where characters need to find a mentor (or relevant alternative) for low-level training, but, after a certain level, the characters need to take on their own students, pupils or disciples in order to advance in level. This fits the apprentice -> journey-man -> master mold, where attaining mastership is tied to taking on apprentices. A wizard could take on an apprentice. A fiend-pact warlock could go out and win another soul for his fiend. Etc. Obviously, anti-social character concepts would need some sort of anti-social equivalent to taking on pupils, but I'm sure an alternative could be found where necessary.

Capital idea.

 

[Tormyr]

I guess I'm just not used to that.

I would say that it is not the norm, but it did an interesting thing to the feel of the adventure. The encounters became "this event happens and gets resolved," and then life would settle back to normal for a bit until the next crisis.

 

[Sunseeker]

I would say that it is not the norm, but it did an interesting thing to the feel of the adventure. The encounters became "this event happens and gets resolved," and then life would settle back to normal for a bit until the next crisis.

I suppose it really depends on how world-spanning your adventure is. There may not be crisis here today, but there is always crisis somewhere.

 

[PnPgamer]

This topic made me crave for fries! OP you fiend!