Experience (X.P.)
Experience, abbreviated "x.p.," is a measure of the character's accumulated successes from adventures that have been undertaken. This serves as a metric by which the character's "experience level" in his or her character class is determined. Upon becoming 1st level, a character's experience points begin at zero. From this point forward, experience is earned primarily through surviving combat and acquiring treasure, reflecting the character's growth and mastery over the challenges faced. The accumulation of experience is a core mechanic, driving character development and shaping the character's role within the game world.
Contents
As experience points accumulate, they enable the character to progress to higher experience levels, which are tied directly to their class and detailed on the respective pages for assassins, bards, clerics, druids, fighters, illusionists, mages, monks, paladins, rangers and thieves. Each level represents a significant milestone, marking an increase in the character's abilities and a deeper understanding of their craft.
Rewarding X.P.
Experience points (x.p.) are assigned based on the amount of weapon damage a character takes and causes during combat, with the system designed to promote risk-taking and encourage active participation. Taking damage is considered more valuable for growth and enlightenment than causing damage, reflected in the 4:1 ratio favouring experience rewards for receiving damage. This dynamic also rewards those who witness the damage being taken, ensuring that all participants in a combat scenario gain some benefit, even if they neither take nor cause damage themselves. The system is structured to reward teamwork and mutual support, emphasizing the importance of acting in concert and being willing to endure harm for one another.
- 20 x.p. is awarded for each hit point (h.p.) of damage taken by the combatant.
- 10 x.p. is awarded for each h.p. of damage caused by the combatant.
- 20 additional x.p. is granted for the total damage taken by the friendly side. This Bonus Experience is distributed among all participants who have taken part, including henchmen, followers, retainers and hirelings, who receive a lesser share.
This system ensures that both individual contributions and collective efforts are recognized and rewarded, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among combatants. For further clarification, see the definition of taking part.
Receiving experience is not contingent upon successfully killing an enemy. As long as a combatant either causes or takes damage, they are rewarded with experience, regardless of the outcome of the battle. This approach emphasizes participation and risk, rather than simply the result of combat, allowing characters to learn and grow from their experiences.
- For example, consider a combat involving Hector, Iolanthe, and Jules. Hector causes 7 h.p. of damage and suffers 2 h.p., while Iolanthe causes 2 h.p. and takes 7 h.p. Jules, meanwhile, neither causes nor takes any damage. The party as a whole sustains 9 h.p. of damage during the encounter.
- Hector earns 70 x.p. (10×7) for the damage he causes and 40 x.p. (20×2) for the damage he takes.
- Iolanthe earns 20 x.p. (10×2) for the damage she causes and 140 x.p. (20×7) for the damage she takes.
- Jules earns no x.p. for causing or taking damage.
Additionally, the party receives a bonus of 180 x.p. (20×9) for the total damage sustained. This is divided evenly among all three participants, granting 60 bonus experience points to each. As a result, Hector gains a total of 170 x.p., Iolanthe gains 220 x.p., and Jules gains 60 x.p.
At first glance, it may appear that Hector is unfairly penalised, as he caused the most damage. However, the system reflects the philosophy that Hector, already skilled in combat, gains less insight from doing what he is proficient in. Iolanthe, by contrast, learns a valuable lesson from the injuries she sustained, deepening her understanding of combat dynamics. Jules, though neither particularly lucky nor active, still gains some experience from observing and participating, reinforcing the idea that presence and engagement contribute to growth.
This approach rewards the process of learning through adversity and supports a balanced, collaborative dynamic among party members.
Taking Part
To receive bonus experience for taking part in combat, a combatant must actively participate by either rolling to hit with missiles or hand-to-hand weapons, or by casting a spell. Alternatively, they must be attacked at least once during the combat, placing themselves at risk. Simply standing by without engaging is insufficient to qualify as "taking part." Notably, actually hitting an opponent or being struck is not required—participation alone is enough to earn bonus experience. The system favours those who willingly expose themselves to danger and penalizes those who hang back, avoiding risk, particularly spellcasters or others who refuse to engage.
If a combatant cannot reasonably hit an enemy due to an insurmountable armour class or natural defenses (such as creatures that require magic to hit), they are still not considered to have taken part unless they submit themselves to attack. While this may appear counterintuitive, it reflects the principle that enduring damage or the threat of damage, even without being able to harm the enemy directly, is a valuable sacrifice. This sacrifice may enable stronger allies to act more effectively, having avoided harm themselves. Such bravery and selflessness are rewarded with experience points for their contribution to the group effort.
This system allows characters of low level in a mixed-level party to participate meaningfully, even when their offensive abilities are minimal. By taking hits and contributing through sacrifice, these lower-level characters earn experience and grow stronger. For example, a 1st-level fighter in a party of 6th-level characters may have little chance of defeating an enemy or surviving more than one hit. However, the experience gained from enduring even a single attack and sharing in the treasure afterward could be substantial enough to boost the fighter to 2nd level. This approach allows low-level characters to progress quickly, ensuring they can grow into more effective participants alongside their higher-level allies.
Player Death
If a character dies during combat, whether or not they are subsequently raised immediately or returned via death's door, they receive no experience points for that encounter. The trauma of death and the subsequent recovery creates a profound psychological break, leaving the character with no memory of the combat. As a result, any experience from having caused or received damage, as well as any bonus experience, is denied to the individual. This reflects the disorienting and disassociative effects of death, reinforcing the significance of survival in gaining knowledge and growth from an encounter.
X.P. for Treasure
Experience is also gained through the acquisition of coins, gems, jewellery, and other treasure, with value measured in gold pieces (g.p.). Treasure is defined as wealth obtained through plunder or as payment for services rendered, particularly when those services involve risk to life and limb. Experience from treasure is awarded at the rate of 1 x.p. per 1 g.p., offering a tangible reward for characters who venture into danger.
This mechanic requires some suspension of belief, as it abstracts the concept of growth through wealth. However, in practical terms, it enables the players to reward their characters for bold actions and teamwork. If certain characters consistently avoid risks or contribute minimally, the party has the discretion to withhold treasure and its associated experience points as a form of in-game accountability. This system encourages active participation and collaboration while leaving the exact method of treasure distribution to the players’ discretion. The game provides no strict rules on how treasure must be divided, fostering an expectation that each group will develop its own approach.
Experience is also granted for magic items found as treasure. Each magic item is assigned an experience value, which is awarded to the character or party upon its acquisition. Unlike other forms of treasure, magic items are not assigned a monetary value in gold pieces, reflecting their unique and irreplaceable nature within the game world.
X.P. from the Use of Magic
Specific damage describes direct damage inflicted on a single target through spells like cause light wounds, chromatic orb, dust devil, fire trap, heat metal, insect plague, magic missile, magic stone, Melf's arrow, phantasmal bow, spike stones, spiritual hammer, and similar spells. For these, the caster gains 10 x.p. per h.p. of damage inflicted. In cases where the spell’s effect is shared, such as magic stone, where the caster may hand stones to others for throwing, the x.p. should be split evenly between the participants.
Non-specific damage applies to spells that deal area-of-effect damage, such as burning hands, fireball or meteor shower. This includes spells that cause similar damage to multiple targets simultaneously. Experience points for such damage are calculated using one of the following methods:
- 1. Add the total damage caused to all affected targets, then multiply this sum by 3 x.p.
- 2. Identify the target that suffered the most damage from the spell and multiply that damage by 10 x.p.
The greater of these two values is awarded to the spellcaster.
- For example, if Korin the Mage casts a fireball that deals 21 damage to four creatures, and two of them successfully save (taking 10 damage each), the total damage dealt is 62. Using method #1, Korin would earn 186 x.p. (62 × 3). Using method #2, Korin would calculate based on the highest individual damage dealt, which is 21, yielding 210 x.p. (21 × 10). Since the second calculation provides the larger reward, Korin earns 210 x.p. for his fireball.
Causing Death
If a spell causes the death of a combatant without explicitly dealing damage, such as with the spells death, phantasmal killer, or power word: kill, the spellcaster is awarded 10 x.p. for every hit point the victim possessed at the time of its death. This includes the target's negative hit points, if these exist.
- For example, if a levelled character with 45 hit points is killed outright by a power word: kill spell, the spellcaster earns 550 x.p. for the victory — 450 for the character h.p. above zero, plus 100 for the character's negative h.p. This rule accentuates the potency of instant-death spells.
Magical Allies
When a spell conjures a magical ally, such as animal summoning, call woodland beings, or monster summoning, the summoning caster earns 5 x.p. per hit point of damage caused by the summoned combatant. This reflects the caster’s contribution to the battle through their summoned allies.
Damage taken by these summoned combatants, including those created by spells like phantasmal figure and similar effects, is added to the party’s bonus experience pool. However, this damage does not grant additional x.p. directly to the caster. This distinction ensures that the entire party benefits from the sacrifices and contributions of summoned allies, while still recognising the caster’s role in bringing them into play.
Enhancements
If a spell or ability enhances the combat effectiveness of a friendly recipient, such as chant, enlarge, flame blade, prayer, strength, or martial spirit, the x.p. gained from the additional damage caused specifically due to the spell is shared between the recipient and the caster.
- For example, if Leo the Thief gains +1 damage from Matthew the Cleric’s prayer spell and deals 5+1 damage to an enemy, the x.p. is divided as follows: Leo receives 50 x.p. for the 5 damage he would have done regardless of the spell, and 10 x.p. is attributed to the +1 damage granted by Matthew’s spell. Consequently, Matthew earns 10 x.p. for this single hit. Over the course of combat, Matthew would presumably gain similar contributions from multiple party members benefiting from his spell.
In cases where the spell or ability completely enables the damage, such as flame blade, which allows a combatant to harm creatures that can only be hit by magic, the x.p. for all damage dealt is shared equally between the recipient and the caster. This reflects the critical role of the caster’s contribution in making the damage possible at all, ensuring fair recognition of their impact on the encounter.
Spells that provide temporary hit points, such as armour and phantom armour, are treated as if the recipient has taken ordinary damage when those hit points are lost. For experience purposes, the recipient gains 20 x.p. per hit point lost from these spells. This x.p. is awarded solely to the recipient and is not shared with the caster, reflecting the recipient's personal experience in enduring the loss during combat.
This approach ensures that the additional hit points provided by such spells contribute to character advancement, rewarding their use as a buffer in dangerous situations.
Experience for Achievement
When a particularly challenging and significant goal is reached — one that has required substantial effort spanning 10 or more game sessions and several months of real-time play — the DM may choose to award an additional x.p. bonus at their discretion. This bonus is granted as a percentage increase to the character’s current x.p. total, typically 5%, 10%, or 20%. For example, if a character has 34,000 x.p. and receives a 10% bonus, their total would increase to 37,400 x.p. These bonuses are exceptionally rare and are meant to reflect the monumental importance of the achievement, beyond the usual rewards of treasure and experience points from other sources.
The bonus is applied uniformly across the party, including both players and NPCs, ensuring that all members of the group benefit equally. This shared reward fosters balance within the party and underscores the collective effort required to achieve such a remarkable milestone.
When dividing experience among the party's main characters and others who take part, assign 1 share of the bonus experience to each lead player character. Direct henchmen receive ½ share, while henchmen of henchmen receive a further reduced share of ¼.
Levelled followers are treated as "characters" in their own right and receive an equal share to that of player characters. Non-levelled followers, as well as levelled retainers (such as henchmen), receive ½ share. Non-levelled retainers and hirelings, being less impactful in combat or strategy, receive ¼ share.
- For example, consider a scenario involving a player's fighter, the fighter's henchman, and a hired comrade. The total shares in this case are calculated as follows: 1 (for the fighter) + ½ (for the henchman) + ¼ (for the comrade). If the group accrues 20 bonus experience from taking damage, it is divided proportionately. The fighter receives approximately 11.4 x.p., the henchman 5.7 x.p., and the comrade 2.9 x.p. This division reflects the hierarchical nature of the group, where the lead player character has the most control and influence over the combat, followed by the henchman, and finally the comrade.
This system ensures that experience is distributed in a manner that rewards contribution and reflects the command structure within the party.
Healing
Healing has no direct impact on the calculation of experience; its role is solely to restore hit points that can later be lost again in combat. As a result, it is possible for a character to gain experience for losing more hit points in damage than the character’s total hit point maximum, provided that sufficient healing occurs during the combat to sustain further losses. This reflects the dynamic and ongoing nature of combat, where resilience and recovery contribute to the overall growth and experience of the character.
See also,
Player Characters
The Adventure