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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 9886378" data-attributes="member: 4937">Well, that's just RAW per Gygax's explanation of why training gave no XP in the DMG, and why levelling up through adventuring was largely unrealistic and yet supported by the rules.  My point though is that he deliberately gave no mechanics for players doing any of that.As for "a level every few years of constant work" it would have to be much slower than that, otherwise you end up in a Forgotten Realms situation where every merchant and barkeep is over 10th level and you have incoherence about what meaning 1st level characters would have in such a world (to say nothing of normal orcs) - season up a few years and come back at 7th level sort of thing.Imagining that there is something that a character can do to earn 1 XP a day (and if you've read my 3e posts on NPC classes you'll see where this is going, but it works even better for 1e because of the exponential leveling), then a fighter levels up after 2000 days of training - about 7 years or so.  He then levels up again after another 7 years, then again after another 14.  He's now perhaps 45 to 50 years of age (persumably he's now also the veteran of several real combats as well) and a Captain and civic leader.  He levels up again, but is now in his 70's and aged and his body failing him and he's not able to employ his vast experience as his Strength has fallen to a mere average level and his Dexterity and Constitution are mere 6's.  His hit points are lower now than they were when he was lower leveled and youthful.  This is very much my demographics in 1e or 3e (A)D&D.</blockquote>

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