Pace of level advancement in 4th edition D&D

[Silverwave]

Xp also went out the window in my 4E games. We just house ruled the characters get a level every two sessions (4 hour sessions). It speeds up the pace a bit so we can enjoy every levels of play and it won't take like 5 years to get to 30th lvl.

It's also easier to keep track. In fact, I don't even keep track of the XP lol.

For the encounters, I'm not even sticking to what the DMG says, I'm always making tougher encounters. I'm using the xp pool of 1 level higher and as if the party were made of 6 characters (when they are actually 5).

 

[Nahat Anoj]

By the book, I'm finding that it's taking a lot longer to level up in 4th than in 3rd. Right now our characters are level 8, and, with only a few exceptions, have played around 4 hours a week every Sunday night since the release date. This is much more like my 2e days, where it took a long time to level up.

 

[darkwing]

I've decided to give my adventurers roughly double the normal XP. The reason is we only play 2 times a month (at most) and I'd like them to see paragon play before 2011.

 

[llamatron2000]

In Living Forgotten Realms, it's assumed that PCs will level up every 3-4 adventures. Those adventures consist of 2-3 combats with a skill challenge or two thrown in per 3-5 hour session. Considering that the XP requirements for modules are laid out by WotC, I think it's fair to say that's a pretty average and expected progression.

 

[MrBeens]

The reason we don't limit exp gain per session is what you get done in any given session can vary massivly - some sessions are whole day marathons, some are a couple of hours. In a marathon day session we may complete a whole dungeon level, or we may spend all day dicking around in town.

To the person who is having problems with the "in game" time it is taking to level, remember that each adventure doesn't have to carry directly on from the previous one - there could be weeks or months between adventures.

 

[Bran Mak Morn]

To the person who is having problems with the "in game" time it is taking to level, remember that each adventure doesn't have to carry directly on from the previous one - there could be weeks or months between adventures.[/quote]

Hi, I know this and after TSL I've made the next adventure begin following 4 months the PCs' departure from Sarun Khel. The issue I would like to underline is that it would be much more diccificoult to replicate a "Test of the Warlords" adventure style, which I found very attractive at the time.

 

[Cas Liber]

The main reason I asked in the first place is I was bemused having gotten H1 how it expects players to be 4th level at the end (It doesn't look that big (??)).

Anyway, encounters are clearly a Bigger Deal too..as I note there are no wandering monsters anymore either, which surprised me (is this because of the leveling thing - it would make it too quick and get it 'out of whack'?)

PS:Anyway, I haven't actually played 4e yet, just trying to brush up on as much info as possible and what has changed since 2e (alot...) before starting.
cheers
Cas

 

[-Avalon-]

I am thinking about the next game I run, will be a "Classic Zombie Movie" game, prolly set in Eberron (I can use the 3.x version since it prolly won't be out in time for my game), and halving the HP of the enemies, but keeping the xp the same, or just ignoring the xp entirely...

I want enemies that just seem to keep coming and coming... but die "fairly" easily... and award a level about once every session or two... prolly award them at a 3/4 rate or something...

 

[Rel]

Anyway, encounters are clearly a Bigger Deal too..as I note there are no wandering monsters anymore either, which surprised me (is this because of the leveling thing - it would make it too quick and get it 'out of whack'?)

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "no wandering monsters anymore". Do you mean listed in the module? I don't own it so that may well be true. But I almost always include encounters in my games that don't have to do with whatever "main plotline" the PC's are pursuing. The fact that there are bears in the woods and bandits in the mountains that might suddenly attack just helps make the world seem more "real" to my players and I. These encounters can simply be factored into your total XP budget (i.e. if you add a couple extra "wandering monster" encounters then have a couple less rooms of bad guys in your dungeon).

But again, I see no real need to track XP in 4e. XP has reached a point where it is so divorced (or "siloed" to use a term floating around these days) from other aspects of the game that it isn't necessary in other respects. I'm happier to have level advancement more tied to accomplishing meaningful goals set by the players or myself in the course of the roleplaying.

 

[catsclaw227]

Judging by the XP and the time it is taking to to through our new Scales of War game, as well as the time it took to go from 11th to 15th in my converted Age of Worms game, it's looking like it will come out to about A Tier a Year(tm).

A three year campaign that ends in a grand epic climax sounds about right to me.