What's your "Leveling Up" Sweet spot?

[Mercurius]

That is, how often do you like to level up? Edition doesn't matter, nor does hours-per-session, but I will provide options for game frequency because I think it does matter. So the poll (and question) is two parts: How frequently do you play, and how often do you like to level up? What is the "sweet spot" that makes leveling up special and exciting, that keeps the players from becoming jaded but also gives a pleasing sense of development and growth?

(This poll was inspired by Piratecat's assertion in his "15 years, 247 sessions" thread that they level up once every 12 sessions, which was a bit of a surprise and is certainly on the conservative end of the spectrum).

I've only been a DM for the last couple years and haven't played a character regularly for half a decade or more, but my answer for both is the same. First of all, our sessions are scheduled for every other week although we probably miss or push back a session every 3-4 sessions, so we end up playing three times in two months or five times in six months, for a total of 18-20 sessions a year. We've been playing for about two years (the first of which was once a month) with about 30-33 sessions in our current campaign (I've lost track). The PCs are 10th level, which averages out to one level every three sessions; that is a tad faster than I would normally like, but this is partially due to the fact that for the first year we only played once a month so they leveled up every 2-3 sessions until we switched to every other week, when they level up every 3-5 sessions.

So I would say my sweet spot is, in an every other week schedule, every 3-5 sessions, or about once every two months.

What about you?

 

[howandwhy99]

Leveling is far from the only means of gaining power during play in our game, so it isn't very often. I'd say between 12-15 sessions, but it depends upon play and PC class.

However, our game is balanced by content rather than equalizing player effect on the world. All PCs start at zero XP and are never balanced against each other. The sweet spot is addressing the level of challenge the group as a whole believes it can overcome. So high level means highly proficient players.

 

[Argyle King]

I am unsure how to answer this because (in my view) how quickly the group levels up depends upon how quickly the characters move through the material. I guess my 'sweet spot' would vary greatly depending upon a few variables.

 

[IronWolf]

I went with the we play once a week and level every 3 to 5 sessions.

This question (well, similar question) was also asked about a week and half ago, so some might find the responses here interesting as well:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...ng-can-you-stay-level-xxx-still-have-fun.html

 

[GreyLord]

For me it really DOES depend on the system and the game. Some set the stage more then others, and some do't really make sense to actually "level up" in the same sense.

For D20, it has that faster paced, and actually out lines how fast to level. You'll level around every 10-16 encounters. That could be once every session or once every 2 or 3 sessions (depending on session length).

In AD&D, 1e and 2e, along with C&C there have been campaigns we didn't level once and that was fine. You have other reasons for roleplaying other than leveling up. You are there to play a game. It's typically a different mindset than what newer RPG's push. I've also played AD&D games where you level up once or twice in a LOOOOONG session, and are faster in leveling then 3e.

With 4e it's odd, and changes. For the first few levels, sometimes it's a level every one or two sessions. Then it starts to slow down to the point of only levelling up once every 4 or 5. I have even been in one where the leveling was only every 4 or 5 sessions. I suppose if you played it a certain way you could go a dozen or more sessions without levelling if the emphasis was more roleplaying with very little combat.

In Warhammer you level quite often, but it's not the same thing. Normally you get to gain a skill or stat every single session. You are improving, but nothing like the levels of AD&D or D&D.

In the fighting fantasy RPG (original, not AFF) we never level at all. There's no real leveling in the game. However you might get lucky and sometime increase a score via some game effect, OR your main increase is finding some nifty magic items.

In truth it really depends. Older guys who LIKE the originals may never level or level in what many would call extreme creep. I've played a C&C campaign where it takes a year between levels...some years have had 50+ sessions, others only 20 since it's via long distance sometimes. On the otherhand, with many newer players, and some old who didn't like the slow advancement or were more used to faster advancement (as I said AD&D and that style could go anywhere from long levelling times to very short) if you don't level normally in 4 or 5 sessions, preferably 3 or less, and a maximum of 10...they start having disgruntled player syndrome.

Not the answer you probably were looking for, but in many ways it depends on players, game system, and what they are used to.

 

[Lanefan]

We play each party/campaign once a week, as far as possible.

That's about the only certainty with which I can answer any part of this.

I voted "10+ sessions" as that works out to be the long-term average in our games, but there's loads of variables even within our one system. At very low levels, bumping a bit more frequently is almost essential. A lower-level character entering an established party also needs to bump a bit more often in order to catch up. And sometimes events in the game - e.g. an adventure that for whatever reason gives out gobs of ExP - dictate a faster bump rate. This is all averaged out by some mid- or high-level parties where characters don't bump often at all - maybe as infrequently as once a year. Note this is all based on a 1e variant.

Once you get into other systems, all bets are off. Different editions/systems deem to be designed for different (usually fast) advancement rates, and while I personally prefer a slow advance rate this can ends up at odds with the game design over the long term. An example: in 3e it's easy to houserule a slower advance rate but unless you also want to get really stingy with treasure (which is no fun for anyone) you can expect the designed wealth-by-level guidelines to slowly but surely go completely out the window.

Lanefan

 

[Mercurius]

Just a point of clarification - This poll was intended for D&D only; thus me saying "edition doesn't matter," with the implication that I am talking about editions of D&D.

Also, the last frequency category should be "once a month or less," not "or more." Oh well.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I went with the we play once a week and level every 3 to 5 sessions.

My group is the same. We level pretty frequently, and thus reboot campaigns and the like fairly frequently also. Leveling up is fun and a good reward for play. Other rewards add onto that.

But we are of the short cmapaign mindset, so YMMV. If I knew I wouild be playing the same character for 4-5+ years, leveling must be a lot slower.

 

[Piratecat]

In my current two 4e campaigns, we ignore xp and level every five or six sessions. As we play every other week, that gives me two years at heroic, paragon, and epic tier - for exactly a six year campaign. Perfect.

 

[Hussar]

Every edition I've played, from 1e to 4e now, we've leveled at about the same rate - played 1/week and bumped about every 3-5 sessions. It's never made any difference between edition or even group.

Although I have played with the odd DM who greatly varied this. One 3e DM had us leveling about once every ten or twelve sessions. Way too slow for my tastes.