Leveling: How do you do it?

[RatPunk]

I'm getting ready to take over our game in a few weeks and I've been thinking about the process of level advancement and I was curious as to how other DM's approach it.

Do you have your PCs train before they can advance a level?

Do you forego training and gain the benefits of the new level immediately?

Do you use some combination of the two?

In our current game, we go the training route. It seems more "realistic" but can slow the game down a bit while characters spend a week or more in town, not to mention it can cause problems if characters get spread out in xp and start leveling at different times.

On the other hand, not training would definately allow the PCs to continue on with their various quests in a more timely manner, but it doesn't make a lot of sense when they acquire new classes, skills and feats.

Which brings me to the combination method I was considering using. If they advance in skills/classes they already have, they don't particularly need to train (likewise if they can learn from someone in the party who already has it). If they want to learn something new, it's off to the big city.

And then there's what I see as the main purpose of the training system in the first place: To part characters from their hard earned cash.

So, what do you about level advancement in your game?

 

[Umbran]

The groups I work with usually assume that the training was handled "on the job" - the character was practicing these things for some time already, and the levelling process is merely when they start noticing results. However, we don't actually allow levellingin the middle of an adventure. XP is awarded only during "down time".

This all works quite well, so long as a character doesn't dump a whole lot of skill points into a single skill they didn't have before. Even then, the percieved disconinutity in skill or ability between level N and N+1 isn't really an issue in the long term.

 

[chatdemon]

I make the party wait and level up once they return to a suitable base of operations. Their hideout, a town or city, a friendly keep, etc. Then they spend two weeks of ingame downtime honing their new skills, getting trained in new skills and spells, etc.

This method also allows me a 15 or 20 minute in game break to reflect on how the session is going and adjust the encounters planned for later in the session to account for the party's new levels.

And don't forget, forcing them to spend a couple weeks in town or around NPCs at least has a few benefits. like:
Introducing new plot hooks, rumors, etc
ciphoning off some of that hard earned gold
a little bit of fun urban adventure, like run ins with thieves, the authorities, etc.

 

[S'mon]

I award XP usually a couple of times per session (around 6-8 hours), and let them level up immediately. Suits my game. I allow all reasonable benefits immediately - wizards would still need to write new spells into their books, and pay for the ink; cohorts would have to be recruited, etc, but otherwise they get all benefits immediately. This helps improve the PCs' survival chances in my tough, low-magic game.

 

[Leopold]

its on the job training for CORE classes and for PrC's and non CORE classes they must find a tutor/mentor/teacher/barbarian shaman/etc to teach them..

 

[Mouseferatu]

I've never bothered with training. Never seemed to make any sense to me. True experience is always a better teacher than formal training, and a fighter who's battled--and survived--orcs, ogres, hill giants, and dragons is going to be a lot more skilled (albeit it possibly less "refined") than one who's learned the craft in the practice yard.

But hey, just my take on things.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Of course, if they're picking up new skills or a new class, that's a different story...

 

[Limper]

On the fly unless its a big diversion from what they had or is in the party.

We figured the PCs had learned most of what they needed before starting and were just learing how to use it or practicing that which they knew.

If the party Wizard suddenly wants Monk levels and the party aint got one then it's off to train (and example by the way).

 

[The Dungeon Nazi]

I've participated in games where experience was doled out after every encounter, and leveling up took place immediately upon passing the mark. I don't like it.

In my own games, experience is handed out in between games via email, or during setup at the next game. Leveling up only takes place when the party is in a relatively civilized area (i.e. not adventuring). Usually, they stay in a dungeon setting for one or two games, head back to town and add up experience and level up, purchase new items, etc.

 

[bwgwl]

i don't require training when i DM. i allow them to level up as soon as they have the requisite XP.

i usually only give XP at the end of a session, but if there's a "down time" break in the middle of the session, i'll go ahead and hand out XP then too.

for certain classes, i can definitely see a training requirement: wizard and monk would be the two major ones.

however, since most adventurers are involved in combat, i wouldn't require training to take fighter levels. likewise, the sorcerer class seems to use magic intuitively, so i wouldn't require training for a character to suddenly have an epiphany and realize he or she can use arcane magic in this manner.

things like the aforementioned wizard and monk, cleric, druid, and most prestige classes would probably require training to enter the class, but as long as the character had some contact with his or her mentor/guild/church/monastery/etc., i wouldn't require them to take training in a class they already possess.