Questions tagged [experience-points]

For questions pertaining to "experience points" or any other kind of point gained during play and used to "level up" or otherwise permanently increase a character's abilities.

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Do you always have to spend XP to gain Merits and Backgrounds (during play)?

Context: This question refers to gaining Merits and Backgrounds (Advantages) after the campaign has started, long after character generation has been done. In older versions of Vampire the Masquerade,...
DrBob's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
283 views

How many skill points should I give my players for winning an encounter?

I am about to start my first game with The Dark Eye system (5th edition), and I am wondering how many skill points I should give my players for winning an encounter (not necessarily combat). ...
Ahorn's user avatar
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Does paying an XP cost count as having your level drained for Restoration spells?

When a player loses a level due to paying an XP cost to either cast a spell or create an item, could this level be brought back through the use of a restoration spell?
Arthaban's user avatar
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Should the party get XP for a monster they never attacked?

Attempting to keep things vague to avoid possible spoilers for Dragon Heist During the first session, after the barfight, a couple monsters crawl out of the hole in the middle of the tavern, one big ...
PyroTornado's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
178 views

Can I get more than one level from a single action/encounter?

I have similar situation to described in here Can a character gain two levels with the same encounter? albeit in another system, as we are playing Pathfinder instead of D&D. My character is 4th ...
Mołot's user avatar
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41 votes
14 answers
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My players want to grind XP but we're using milestone advancement

I've been running a D&D 5e campaign where the levelling up has been done at certain landmark points or milestones. Regardless of your opinion on that specific system, it's reached a point where ...
Pogo's user avatar
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3 answers
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How much XP should you award if the encounter was not solved via battle? [duplicate]

I have created an encounter with monsters, with their relevant CR and XP. Normally, when the party kills everyone, they are rewarded the XP. If the party chooses to, and succeeds in, resolving the ...
Theo Scholiadis's user avatar
21 votes
2 answers
4k views

How can I add encounters in the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign without giving PCs too much XP?

I'm currently reading the LMOP scenario. I was thinking about adding some encounters if the PCs want to explore the forest or other side-story zones that aren't considered in the book. But actually I ...
Zoma's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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How to provide XP for item creation?

I read in an answer that you can provide the XP cost of an item that the party Wizard creates for you. Unfortunately no details are given, and the link is dead. How can I cover the Wizard's XP ...
András's user avatar
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36 votes
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How can I raise concerns with a new DM about XP splitting?

My wife is new to DMing and D&D as a whole. We had our first game yesterday and one of my friends raised a concern about how she was awarding XP as she was giving the XP to the person that got ...
Doreilly's user avatar
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Can you earn endless XP using a Flameskull and its self-revival feature?

Flameskulls have the following traits (Monster Manual, p. 135): Eldritch Rejuvenation. A flameskull's shattered fragments reform unless they are splashed with holy water or subjected to a dispel ...
Ender Look's user avatar
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Should a DM award XP for avoiding or surviving traps?

I just was reading the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure when I noticed that page 21, section "3. Trapped Hall" says: Awarding Experience Points Divide 100 XP equally among the characters if ...
Ender Look's user avatar
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18 votes
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How to adapt XP-changing items in a milestone-leveling game?

I'm the DM of a milestone-leveling game. I want to reward my players with some items like the Deck of Many Things. However some cards like the Fool, the Jester and the Sun have effects that change ...
Olivier Grégoire's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
243 views

How should I budget encounter XP for a single PC?

In the photo I've shared, it starts the XP budget for a party of 4 PCs. At 1st level, the budget is 400. For 5 PCs it's 500. And 600 XP for 6 PCs. So I guess it's safe to assume that I can divide the ...
Jace Oxburn's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Do prestige classes use a separate XP table or do you just progress with the base class table?

New to 3.5 (last time I played was 1st edition, many moons ago), and was interested in a fighter base - arcane archer, but it’s not clear about the exp tables at the point if I qualify for arcane ...
Pops's user avatar
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Do enemy animal companions give XP?

So I'm creating an enemy level 9 druid NPC for my Pathfinder game I DM. The enemy has a bear as an animal companion and I want to know if I should reward XP for killing the bear, in addition to the ...
Carlos2W's user avatar
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2 answers
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Does a twinned spell with an XP component cost twice as much XP as the normal spell?

If I cast a spell with an XP component using the metamagic feat Twin Spell (CAr pg. 84), will I have to pay the XP component twice as if I had cast the spell twice? Or is the XP cost unchanged?
Aguinaldo Silvestre's user avatar
22 votes
1 answer
42k views

What's the difference between XP and adjusted XP?

What's the difference between XP and adjusted XP in D&D 5th edition?
user50863's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is XP needed to level accumulated or absolute? [duplicate]

In D&D there is the need to gain experience by doing some activities or battles, but that experience obtained is added as a total or by level? For instance, if my character is level 2, 900 xp is ...
prmf89's user avatar
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In which edition of D&D did players stop earning bonus experience points for high prime requisite ability scores?

Both basic and AD&D have rules for characters gaining a +10% bonus on earned experience points if they have high scores in the prime requisite ability of their class. Initially there were also ...
Marlond's user avatar
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27 votes
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How should XP be awarded for an encounter when enemies flee, get intimidated, or are convinced to help?

This is my first time DM'ing and I'm playing DnD 5e's "Lost Mine of Phandelver" campaign with 3 other players. The PCs seem to have a trend of encountering a group of enemies, start fighting and ...
Felipe D.'s user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
789 views

When awarding xp, is the summoner's eidolon counted as a separate party member with respect to xp division?

Under Exact XP on p.399 of the Core Rulebook, it states that the XP for the encounter should be tallied and then divided by the number of party members. Each party member is then awarded this amount ...
Trekkie's user avatar
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Is there a mathematical formula to determine how much XP is needed per level?

Is there a mathematical formula to determine how much XP is needed per level? In other words Is there a consistent formula for determining how much XP is needed to go up to any given level? I ...
Youjay's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
848 views

Level adjustment reduction for high(ish)-level new characters

I am running a 3.5 D&D campaign and I have allowed my players to use the level adjustment reduction rules from the SRD. It is explained fairly OK for characters as they advance through new levels, ...
mtijn's user avatar
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How is XP awarded in AL for non-combat puzzles in Tomb of Annihilation?

I have been DMing our party for the final parts of Tomb of Annihilation. Some parts of the adventure have vast numbers of puzzles. For example, tonight, the party spent almost four hours simply ...
Praxiteles's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
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In Adventurers League, can you finish a module you started if you leveled out of it?

Here's a situation: Bob plays a 4 hours Adventurers League Tier 2 adventure with a level 10 character, but due to unforeseen time constraints, the module cannot be completed (only 3 hours in, for ...
Gael L's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
473 views

How can I level up or use my NPC army?

In my current campaign, I’ve managed to secure myself a fairly large kingdom, with an army of over 10,000 level 10s at my disposal. This would be incredibly useful if we weren’t in a fairly epic level ...
Zonia Flx's user avatar
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15 votes
6 answers
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How much XP does a monster created by Animate Objects add to an encounter?

I am making a boss fight. The boss can cast animate objects, a spell that can animate statues. The spell gives information for, eg., 1 Large Construct: Large - HP: 50, AC: 10, Attack: +6 to hit, ...
Snowcrash's user avatar
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Is an Adventurers League DM allowed to adjust an encounter to max out the combat XP reward?

I DM an AL group of four. They agree to create new level 1 characters (they are experienced), but ask me to adjust the combat to give maximum possible XP in an adventure, in case they miss out the non-...
Vylix's user avatar
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10 votes
6 answers
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Do imps and pseudodragons serving as variant familiars earn XP, or share XP with the party?

This question is directly related to two other questions: Do familiars or animal companions earn or share XP with the party? How is a variant familiar imp and pseudodragon (in the Monster Manual ...
KorvinStarmast's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
3k views

If a PC summons creatures to help fight does it lower your party’s XP?

Do summoned creatures take a share of the XP of an encounter? Let’s say a PC in a party of 3 uses a spell like Conjure Animals. He uses it to summon all 8 creatures. If they contribute to the combat, ...
Dirahmer's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
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Implementing a “perk system” of minor boons? [closed]

Background I have recently become the DM of a group comprised mostly of newbies and one or two older players who aren’t accustomed to 5e’s rules yet. I decided that, for my first campaign, I wanted to ...
Z. Schroeder's user avatar
22 votes
3 answers
3k views

Do PCs gain experience from a fight that they lost?

If the PCs lose a fight but do not die (e.g. imprisoned), do they gain experience points from the battle?
Chris's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
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Why is the XP awarded from an encounter the sum of monster XP values and not Adjusted XP? [closed]

The Dungeon Master's Guide presents guidelines for gauging encounter difficulty based on the Adjusted XP of monsters faced. The Adjusted XP is the sum of the monsters' experience values, modified by a ...
kviiri's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
284 views

How is PC experience calculated when higher level CR allies help in Adventurers League?

The recent adventure Tomb of Annihilation released by WotC includes allies that can join the party. As an open-world adventure spanning multiple PC levels and Tiers, PCs could potentially gain allies ...
Praxiteles's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
28 views

Distributing exp during encounters [duplicate]

When I get to distribute exp to party members, should I give the same amount of EXP to everyone or split it by monsters killed/fight contribution?
user43523's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
5k views

Can you earn XP for defeating a creature, then raise as undead & destroy it for more XP?

The party defeats a group of creatures by killing them, earning XP. Can they then raise the corpses as undead, release control so they're uncontrolled undead, then kill the undead for more XP? Is ...
Griblet's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
278 views

Is XP only awarded to the PC that delivers the killing blow? [duplicate]

I have been a DM for 35 years, and now we are embarking on 5th ed. I am playing a 1st level Barbarian. Due to Ideals and Bonds and stuff, I am letting other party members get the “kill” on stuff I ...
GAFM's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
329 views

Who gets exp when a player does something opposed to another player?

One player (Alice) attempts something opposed to another player (Bob). Both players roll relevant skills. Who gets exp/skills here? If Alice wins, does Bob get exp? If Alice fails, does only Alice ...
GreySage's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
538 views

Do you gain XP when you die?

In Dungeon World you gain XP on a miss. However a bit of a discussion has come up recently in my circle of DW players as to whether missing a last breath roll, and subsequently dying, also causes you ...
Wheat Wizard's user avatar
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21 votes
8 answers
12k views

What do NPCs do with gained XP?

I'm the DM of our group with several player characters, and often there are NPCs with the party as well (partly because the party really likes persuading friendly creatures to come join them, and ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
511 views

Cap XP earned from encounter? [closed]

In a game of D&D 5e last night we had to creep through a room containing ~1000 Duergar. It should have been easy, as they were already distracted, but our Paladin, who we'll call Clanky ...
Hotlush's user avatar
  • 89
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to distribute XP for player kill in free-for-all arena?

I'm designing a game of some sort of battle arena, which in every session there are 4 PCs fighting each other. The whole campaign will revolve on the arena fight and amassing XP to stand at the top. ...
Vylix's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is XP from solo kills during combat shared or not?

This scenario came up in a recent game I ran I and I'm curious on how it should be handled. If, during an encounter where everyone in the party takes a turn, a character kills one of the enemies ...
Sneaky Kobold's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
281 views

How do I determine the expected duration/runtime of older Adventurer's League adventures for purposes of DM rewards? [duplicate]

In reference to this question: How do I apply & record DM Experience Rewards? Where in a published D&DAL Module (I'm specifically working with the Tyranny of Dragons modules) would I find the ...
NoahtheBoah36's user avatar
23 votes
4 answers
17k views

Are there any quick, reliable ways to level up in D&D 5e?

I am the Dungeon Master in a new campaign. Since I made the players start new characters, they were wondering if there was a fast way to gain experience. The players wanted the game to still be legit, ...
theG.O.A.T wizard's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
4k views

Do I award experience points for a trap that goes off?

In a recent session my players triggered a trap that they didn't notice; it went off and did damage to most of the party. I've done a rudimentary search through the Pathfinder SRD and couldn't find ...
Jim Kiley's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
6k views

How do I apply & record DM Experience Rewards?

So at the ends of some of my adventure packets that I've run for D&D Adventurer's League it says things about DM rewards, which includes Experience Points. I'm concerned a little bit that I may ...
NoahtheBoah36's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
206 views

What defines an XP generating encounter for PCs?

Based on this question, what is it that makes something qualify as an XP generating moment? Are those moments generated by the PCs, or by NPCs away from them as well?
NotArch's user avatar
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21 votes
6 answers
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Should a PC get XP for assisting outside of combat?

Related, but about a PC not participating at all in a combat: Do people get XP for battles they weren't in? Generally, experience points for a combat encounter are divided equally among the ...
Robert Columbia's user avatar