In dungeons and dragons 5th edition, leveling up a character is what players seem to want to do the most, but many seem to focus purely on its mechanical benefits. Players pour over which sub class to choose, what feat to take, and what new spells they should learn to have the most impact on the game. Once these improvements have been selected or reviewed, most of the time how their player character ended up with these improvements is never mentioned. Let me lay out some ways that these mechanical improvements to a character can become roleplaying opportunities.
I have two concepts in mind: foreshadowing the level up and revealing the level up.
Foreshadowing a Level Up
Foreshadowing the level up requires you to think about the level up before it happens. I know many of us have a level 1 to level 20 build in mind for our characters or at least are looking forward to what our character gets at the next level. So look ahead at that next level and foreshadow the changes that come with it in the game.
Most games already have a bit of this foreshadowing from level 2 to level 3, since most characters choose a subclass at level 3. Subclasses are a big decision that players usually discuss with their DM and fellow players, so roleplaying opportunities naturally crop up around that selection often. But every level, big or small in its mechanical benefit, can have roleplaying opportunities.
For example, a level 4 wizard, who will undoubtedly choose to take the fireball spell upon reaching level 5, may be seen experimenting with new gestures, components and incantations when they cast burning hands or scorching ray. Eventually this experimentation leads to them discover how to cast fireball. It just so happens that they have a breakthrough on this more powerful fire spell at the same time they reach level 5. A level 3 fighter about to reach level 4, may be seen exercising or doing physical training to foreshadow their strength increasing due to taking an ability score improvement at that next level.
Much of this foreshadowing can be dropped in as a sentence or two throughout a session explaining how your character is studying, training and experimenting with the things they will soon master. But it does not have to be a solitary experience. A level 2 rogue, who will become an arcane trickster at level 3, may strike up nightly conversations with the party wizard to learn the basics of magic. Thinking about how to incorporate other player characters into these level up roleplay moments will do a lot to make them worth your time at the table.
Revealing a Level Up
Okay, but what if you just leveled up and didn’t do any foreshadowing? Well instead of foreshadowing the level up, you can do my second idea, revealing the level up. Which is finding an interesting way to highlight the first use of a new feature or improvement. Of course, you could always foreshadow the level up and then reveal it. Revealing can just be a statement, like a wizard casting fireball for the first time remarking how similar its verbal and somatic components are to when they cast burning hands, but the verbal component includes a new phrase and the somatic components include an extra gesture.
Also keep in mind that just because a character has a new ability, does not mean they know about it or how to use it.
The berserker barbarian may not go into a frenzy for the first time until one of their fellow adventures is cut down and laughed at by a cruel bandit. This deepens their rage to the point of frenzy and from then on they can use that moment as a catalyst for future frenzies.
A monk may catch an arrow aimed at their head in complete shock, surprised they could do such a thing. Then they might spend the next few days believing they have other secret powers they just need to find the right trigger to unlock. Including the belief they can fly, only for it to be disproven, only for them to say I told you so when they reach level 4 and learn Slow Fall.
None of these moments need to be big, scripted, or lead to a deeper meaning. They can just be a bit of flavor. But finding moments to roleplay a character leveling up adds another opportunity for players and DMs alike to tell a good story at the table.
As a DM
If you are a DM, you can facilitate level up role play by finding out what things the player characters are going to get at their next level up, and then put a situation or NPC in front of those characters that will give them those things. A fighter wishing to become a battlemaster, may be approached by an old war veteran willing to teach them a few maneuvers, if they complete a favor. Or perhaps Merfolk request a druid expel the vile creatures within their coral palace, and in return the druid can swim in their waters, learning to shape themselves into creatures of the sea.
As a Player
If you are a player, you can facilitate level up role play by thinking about how your character can be training or experimenting towards their next cool ability, and then how to spotlight that cool ability when you use it. In addition, you can find out what the other player characters at your table are going to get upon level up and figure out how your character can help provide that. If you’re a rogue, you may suggest the party throw daggers at you every day when you’re level 4, so that by the time you are level 5 you’ve gotten so good at dodging the daggers you can use Uncanny Dodge the next time an ogre swings a club your way.
No matter what, try not to let a level up pass by without remarking on it in some way. Otherwise it’s just numbers on a page, instead of a character taking another step on their journey.
Big List of Examples
ASIs
Strength
The fighter is seen doing intense body weight exercises before packing up camp in the morning. Or is even doing them in full plate armor!
Dexterity
The rogue has been following the monk in morning stretches and has been balancing on the main tent post in their spare time.
Constitution
The barbarian has been eating nonlethal doses of poison and weathering blow after blow by the fighter in sparring sessions.
Intelligence
The wizard has gained Intelligence from many hours deciphering symbols and incantations from spellbooks found on their journey.
Wisdom
The monk has grown wise from countless hours meditating on what it means to be connected to all things, as well as feeling that connection through their ki.
Charisma
The bard has become more charismatic, because they stop at every inn along their path and strike up a conversation with the patrons or perform a new melody in a street show.
Please do not actually roleplay every single one of these interactions. Just drop it as a sentence or town as your party travels through towns.
New spells
Iteration
A wizard learns how to make a fireball by experimenting with what gestures, components and incantations they use when casting lower level fire based spells like burning hands and scorching ray.
Experimentation
An arcane trickster may see the wizard cast mirror image a few times and try with their own flair, causing them to cast invisibility instead.
Faith Rewarded
A cleric that follows a god of death may pray for a meal, yet never receive one, but when they pray for the pain of those at a funeral to ease, a wealth of food may appear. The cleric need only remember the words they spoke then to cause this food to appear again.
A paladin, up holding their oath to protect the innocent, may find they unknowingly cast Shield of Faith on the young child set upon by wolves.
Understanding
A druid learns to cast plant growth, for they have walked the woods and know how the stalks grow and the roots deepen.
Special features
The battlemaster learns to read his enemy as stated in Know Your Enemy, by recognizing patterns in the creatures they have fought in the past. Or perhaps by playing many years of dragon chess against many opponents.
The thief learned to Evade by failing to in the last fight and practicing.
The fiend warlock may now use the Dark One’s Own Luck ability because they signed a new deal with their patron, binding their fate to the fate of their patron.
TL;DR Leveling up can be used for roleplay just like anything else in the game.
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Video of the idea below, text version below that.
In dungeons and dragons 5th edition, leveling up a character is what players seem to want to do the most, but many seem to focus purely on its mechanical benefits. Players pour over which sub class to choose, what feat to take, and what new spells they should learn to have the most impact on the game. Once these improvements have been selected or reviewed, most of the time how their player character ended up with these improvements is never mentioned. Let me lay out some ways that these mechanical improvements to a character can become roleplaying opportunities.
I have two concepts in mind: foreshadowing the level up and revealing the level up.
Foreshadowing the level up requires you to think about the level up before it happens. I know many of us have a level 1 to level 20 build in mind for our characters or at least are looking forward to what our character gets at the next level. So look ahead at that next level and foreshadow the changes that come with it in the game.
Most games already have a bit of this foreshadowing from level 2 to level 3, since most characters choose a subclass at level 3. Subclasses are a big decision that players usually discuss with their DM and fellow players, so roleplaying opportunities naturally crop up around that selection often. But every level, big or small in its mechanical benefit, can have roleplaying opportunities.
For example, a level 4 wizard, who will undoubtedly choose to take the fireball spell upon reaching level 5, may be seen experimenting with new gestures, components and incantations when they cast burning hands or scorching ray. Eventually this experimentation leads to them discover how to cast fireball. It just so happens that they have a breakthrough on this more powerful fire spell at the same time they reach level 5. A level 3 fighter about to reach level 4, may be seen exercising or doing physical training to foreshadow their strength increasing due to taking an ability score improvement at that next level.
Much of this foreshadowing can be dropped in as a sentence or two throughout a session explaining how your character is studying, training and experimenting with the things they will soon master. But it does not have to be a solitary experience. A level 2 rogue, who will become an arcane trickster at level 3, may strike up nightly conversations with the party wizard to learn the basics of magic. Thinking about how to incorporate other player characters into these level up roleplay moments will do a lot to make them worth your time at the table.
Okay, but what if you just leveled up and didn’t do any foreshadowing? Well instead of foreshadowing the level up, you can do my second idea, revealing the level up. Which is finding an interesting way to highlight the first use of a new feature or improvement. Of course, you could always foreshadow the level up and then reveal it. Revealing can just be a statement, like a wizard casting fireball for the first time remarking how similar its verbal and somatic components are to when they cast burning hands, but the verbal component includes a new phrase and the somatic components include an extra gesture.
Also keep in mind that just because a character has a new ability, does not mean they know about it or how to use it.
The berserker barbarian may not go into a frenzy for the first time until one of their fellow adventures is cut down and laughed at by a cruel bandit. This deepens their rage to the point of frenzy and from then on they can use that moment as a catalyst for future frenzies.
A monk may catch an arrow aimed at their head in complete shock, surprised they could do such a thing. Then they might spend the next few days believing they have other secret powers they just need to find the right trigger to unlock. Including the belief they can fly, only for it to be disproven, only for them to say I told you so when they reach level 4 and learn Slow Fall.
None of these moments need to be big, scripted, or lead to a deeper meaning. They can just be a bit of flavor. But finding moments to roleplay a character leveling up adds another opportunity for players and DMs alike to tell a good story at the table.
If you are a DM, you can facilitate level up role play by finding out what things the player characters are going to get at their next level up, and then put a situation or NPC in front of those characters that will give them those things. A fighter wishing to become a battlemaster, may be approached by an old war veteran willing to teach them a few maneuvers, if they complete a favor. Or perhaps Merfolk request a druid expel the vile creatures within their coral palace, and in return the druid can swim in their waters, learning to shape themselves into creatures of the sea.
If you are a player, you can facilitate level up role play by thinking about how your character can be training or experimenting towards their next cool ability, and then how to spotlight that cool ability when you use it. In addition, you can find out what the other player characters at your table are going to get upon level up and figure out how your character can help provide that. If you’re a rogue, you may suggest the party throw daggers at you every day when you’re level 4, so that by the time you are level 5 you’ve gotten so good at dodging the daggers you can use Uncanny Dodge the next time an ogre swings a club your way.
No matter what, try not to let a level up pass by without remarking on it in some way. Otherwise it’s just numbers on a page, instead of a character taking another step on their journey.
ASIs
Strength
The fighter is seen doing intense body weight exercises before packing up camp in the morning. Or is even doing them in full plate armor!
Dexterity
The rogue has been following the monk in morning stretches and has been balancing on the main tent post in their spare time.
Constitution
The barbarian has been eating nonlethal doses of poison and weathering blow after blow by the fighter in sparring sessions.
Intelligence
The wizard has gained Intelligence from many hours deciphering symbols and incantations from spellbooks found on their journey.
Wisdom
The monk has grown wise from countless hours meditating on what it means to be connected to all things, as well as feeling that connection through their ki.
Charisma
The bard has become more charismatic, because they stop at every inn along their path and strike up a conversation with the patrons or perform a new melody in a street show.
Please do not actually roleplay every single one of these interactions. Just drop it as a sentence or town as your party travels through towns.
New spells
Iteration
A wizard learns how to make a fireball by experimenting with what gestures, components and incantations they use when casting lower level fire based spells like burning hands and scorching ray.
Experimentation
An arcane trickster may see the wizard cast mirror image a few times and try with their own flair, causing them to cast invisibility instead.
Faith Rewarded
A cleric that follows a god of death may pray for a meal, yet never receive one, but when they pray for the pain of those at a funeral to ease, a wealth of food may appear. The cleric need only remember the words they spoke then to cause this food to appear again.
A paladin, up holding their oath to protect the innocent, may find they unknowingly cast Shield of Faith on the young child set upon by wolves.
Understanding
A druid learns to cast plant growth, for they have walked the woods and know how the stalks grow and the roots deepen.
Special features
The battlemaster learns to read his enemy as stated in Know Your Enemy, by recognizing patterns in the creatures they have fought in the past. Or perhaps by playing many years of dragon chess against many opponents.
The thief learned to Evade by failing to in the last fight and practicing.
The fiend warlock may now use the Dark One’s Own Luck ability because they signed a new deal with their patron, binding their fate to the fate of their patron.
TL;DR Leveling up can be used for roleplay just like anything else in the game.