XP Rewards & Gaining Levels¶
PCs earn XP through combat and other specific events that refer to the table for Rewards by Level and Encounter Difficulty (below). All awards use the value for the lowest-level PC present unless noted.
Summary of common events that provide XP awards:
| Event | Award | Once per |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | 1 share | Battle |
| Mass combat | Hard reward | Battle |
| Leading a mass combat | Force Power of the defeated side | Battle |
| Conquering a hex | 300 or 1,000 | Hex |
| Dungeon room cleared and mapped | Easy reward | Room, per PC |
| Wilderness hex scouted and reported | 100 XP | Hex |
| First contact with a faction | Easy reward | Faction |
| Faction quest (minor / significant / major) | Easy / Medium / Hard reward | Quest |
| Faction reward (gold from faction) | gp received, up to Deadly reward | Mission |
| Faction tribute (gold to faction) | gp given, up to Deadly reward | Tribute |
| Successful spy operation | By target PB | Operation |
Combat & Mass Combat¶
Combat. Per DMG 260, total XP for a combat equals the sum of XP values of enemy creatures defeated. Divide by the number of creatures on the winning side (including summons, familiars, henchmen, and similar allies, but excluding a Beast Master ranger's companion). Each PC who meaningfully participated receives one share.
Mass combat. Each PC who meaningfully participates in a mass combat receives a Hard reward.
Leading a mass combat: The commander of a victorious attacking force earns XP equal to the Force Power of the defeated side, up to his own XP value.
Conquering a hex: When a hex is conquered for the first time by a domain, the faction leader earns 300 XP if the hex was Wilds or 1,000 if it was the Territory of another faction.
Noncombat Awards¶
Dungeon location. The first time a PC clears and maps a dungeon location, he gains an Easy XP award. A location is cleared once it can be crossed with little danger. It is mapped when the player has drawn it with its exits and its relation to the rest of the dungeon. A location is most often a numbered location on the map key.
Wilderness hex. The first time a PC scouts a hex and provides a report, he gains 100 XP.
First contact. The first time a faction is met by at least one PC gives an Easy XP award to each PC present. First contact requires that a PC has both participated in a deliberate exchange with a member of the faction (dialog or combat) and identified the faction by name and reputation.
Faction quest. Completing an objective given by a faction awards XP based on the benefit to the faction. A minor benefit pays an Easy award, a significant benefit pays a Medium award, and a major benefit pays a Hard award. Each PC present receives the award. Objectives that require little effort or that have been repeated do not qualify.
Faction reward. When a faction pays the party in gold for a completed mission, each PC receives XP equal to the gp received, up to the XP value of a Deadly encounter for that PC's level. A faction cannot both give a reward and accept tribute for the same action.
Faction tribute. A PC may give treasure gained from a dungeon to a faction as tribute. Tribute may only be given to a faction in whose territory the dungeon resides or to the faction that hired the party for the expedition. If the tribute is accepted, the PC who gave it gains XP equal to the gp value of the tribute, up to the XP value of a Deadly encounter for that PC's level. A faction cannot both accept tribute and give a reward for the same action.
Spying. A successful spy operation pays XP based on the target's proficiency bonus.
| Target PB | XP | Target PB | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| +2 | 200 | +5 | 2,000 |
| +3 | 500 | +6 | 5,000 |
| +4 | 1,000 | +7 or higher | 10,000 |
A successful assassination pays this amount in addition to the assassinated creature's XP value.
Rankings¶
An S or E ranking adds 10% or 20% to any award above, rounded up to the nearest 10.
Rewards by Level and Encounter Difficulty¶
Use this table to gauge appropriate XP awards by difficulty and character level.
| Level | Easy | Medium | Hard | Deadly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 |
| 2nd | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 |
| 3rd | 75 | 150 | 225 | 400 |
| 4th | 125 | 250 | 375 | 500 |
| 5th | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,100 |
| 6th | 300 | 600 | 900 | 1,400 |
| 7th | 350 | 750 | 1,100 | 1,700 |
| 8th | 450 | 900 | 1,400 | 2,100 |
| 9th | 550 | 1,100 | 1,600 | 2,400 |
| 10th | 600 | 1,200 | 1,900 | 2,800 |
| 11th | 800 | 1,600 | 2,400 | 3,600 |
| 12th | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 4,500 |
| 13th | 1,100 | 2,200 | 3,400 | 5,100 |
| 14th | 1,250 | 2,500 | 3,800 | 5,700 |
| 15th | 1,400 | 2,800 | 4,300 | 6,400 |
| 16th | 1,600 | 3,200 | 4,800 | 7,200 |
| 17th | 2,000 | 3,900 | 5,900 | 8,800 |
| 18th | 2,100 | 4,200 | 6,300 | 9,500 |
| 19th | 2,400 | 4,900 | 7,300 | 10,900 |
| 20th | 2,800 | 5,700 | 8,500 | 12,700 |
Character Advancement¶
XP needed for each level.
| Experience Points | Level | Proficiency Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | +2 |
| 300 | 2 | +2 |
| 900 | 3 | +2 |
| 2,700 | 4 | +2 |
| 6,500 | 5 | +3 |
| 14,000 | 6 | +3 |
| 23,000 | 7 | +3 |
| 34,000 | 8 | +3 |
| 48,000 | 9 | +4 |
| 64,000 | 10 | +4 |
| 85,000 | 11 | +4 |
| 100,000 | 12 | +4 |
| 120,000 | 13 | +5 |
| 140,000 | 14 | +5 |
| 165,000 | 15 | +5 |
| 195,000 | 16 | +5 |
| 225,000 | 17 | +6 |
| 265,000 | 18 | +6 |
| 305,000 | 19 | +6 |
| 355,000 | 20 | +6 |
Training to Gain Levels¶
Once a character has earned enough XP to attain a new level, he must train for a number of weeks before gaining any class features associated with the new level. The training cost is for the total training time.
| Level Attained | Training Time | Training Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd-4th | 1 week | 25 gp |
| 5th-10th | 2 weeks | 100 gp |
| 11th-16th | 3 weeks | 500 gp |
| 17th-20th | 4 weeks | 2,500 gp |