I have a question about leveling up characters using this kit. I am currently running two players: Cleric and Wizard. They are brand new players. They just completed one of the starter quests. The adventure booklet states they level up each time they complete one of the starter quests. It also states to use the guidelines in the rulebook. The rulebook basically mentions that once they gain a certain number of XP, they gain a level. There is no mention of resting to gain this level.
What do you do? I am considering using something I recently came across as the way to handle leveling up: I mention 'They feel stronger and more experienced after this encounter." Perhaps I will add that this is the cue to do a long rest to get that level. Or should they just ding, kind of like World of Warcraft style?
Should they have a sidekick Warrior to assist since they are light on damage dealers aka tanks?
I have been trying to find a way to best do this. I love this Essentials Kit for new players and I am looking forward to doing some 1:1 gaming in the very near future.
It is really up to you. I’ve played and DM’ed leveling “video game” style, “long rest” style, and “training” style (minimum of a week per level-1, sometimes a month per level). It depends on what kind of pacing you want and how you want leveling to “feel”.
Wizards and Clerics are both great for the “longer” methods. Wizards have to research, study, scribe, and practice their new spells. Clerics need to go through rites/rituals to move up in their order. These are just ways to present “justification” for longer “leveling” times. They also take out urgency and will make a campaign seem to span years or decades instead of days, weeks, or months.
I don't like using the point by system because it is a pain to keep track of. I would just level them up when you feel like they are ready.
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I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
It’s really is up to you whether they get a melee sidekick to go with them. Some clerics can get in the faces of enemies, others aren’t built to do that.
The essentials kit is set up pretty nicely to level up between jobs. You’re going back to Phandalin pretty often. Almost between each one. If you want to add a narrative flair, about how they feel stronger and empowered with new spells, that’s great. I find many at tables DMs just announce “You all can level up before we meet again next time” at the end of the session, which typically ends when they go back to Phandalin and report back to Harbin Westor.
Yes, the rulebook and full Players Handbook give instruction about leveling by XP accumulation, but players have been really leaning toward milestone leveling. And it seems Wizards of the Coast is responding to that trend by writing adventures, like the Essentials Kit, to use milestone leveling. I generally see XP used lately to calculate the challenge of a day’s worth of fights.
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Hello DM's!
I have a question about leveling up characters using this kit. I am currently running two players: Cleric and Wizard. They are brand new players. They just completed one of the starter quests. The adventure booklet states they level up each time they complete one of the starter quests. It also states to use the guidelines in the rulebook. The rulebook basically mentions that once they gain a certain number of XP, they gain a level. There is no mention of resting to gain this level.
What do you do? I am considering using something I recently came across as the way to handle leveling up: I mention 'They feel stronger and more experienced after this encounter." Perhaps I will add that this is the cue to do a long rest to get that level. Or should they just ding, kind of like World of Warcraft style?
Should they have a sidekick Warrior to assist since they are light on damage dealers aka tanks?
I have been trying to find a way to best do this. I love this Essentials Kit for new players and I am looking forward to doing some 1:1 gaming in the very near future.
Thanks for the help!
It is really up to you. I’ve played and DM’ed leveling “video game” style, “long rest” style, and “training” style (minimum of a week per level-1, sometimes a month per level). It depends on what kind of pacing you want and how you want leveling to “feel”.
Wizards and Clerics are both great for the “longer” methods. Wizards have to research, study, scribe, and practice their new spells. Clerics need to go through rites/rituals to move up in their order. These are just ways to present “justification” for longer “leveling” times. They also take out urgency and will make a campaign seem to span years or decades instead of days, weeks, or months.
I don't like using the point by system because it is a pain to keep track of. I would just level them up when you feel like they are ready.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
- Litany Against Fear, Frank Herbert
It’s really is up to you whether they get a melee sidekick to go with them. Some clerics can get in the faces of enemies, others aren’t built to do that.
The essentials kit is set up pretty nicely to level up between jobs. You’re going back to Phandalin pretty often. Almost between each one. If you want to add a narrative flair, about how they feel stronger and empowered with new spells, that’s great. I find many at tables DMs just announce “You all can level up before we meet again next time” at the end of the session, which typically ends when they go back to Phandalin and report back to Harbin Westor.
Yes, the rulebook and full Players Handbook give instruction about leveling by XP accumulation, but players have been really leaning toward milestone leveling. And it seems Wizards of the Coast is responding to that trend by writing adventures, like the Essentials Kit, to use milestone leveling. I generally see XP used lately to calculate the challenge of a day’s worth of fights.