[3.5] Purchasing levels

[Pteryx]

So I'm looking through older editions, seperate experience tables and all, and get to thinking...

While I love the 3.x style of multiclassing, the system didn't quite reach the ideal balance between different classes that it was shooting for in order to justify giving them all the same experience table, as this board's class tiers explore.  However, you can't just have different experience tables for different classes while also allowing 3.x-style multiclassing...

Or can you?

Consider this: for magic item creation purposes, XP that would take you below your current level can't be spent, but if you just reached a level breakpoint, you can choose to spend it "before" you would level up.  It's sort of like XP is currency that gets automatically spent on levels if you don't go below the amount needed to do so before your account is charged.

Why not make it manual?

The cost of a level of a class depends on your current (not upcoming) character level and the tier of the class you're taking a level in, as follows (I don't pretend this is necessarily balanced, it's just an example of where my thought process is going):

Old character level	Tier 1 price	Tier 2 price	Tier 3 price	Tier 4 price	Tier 5 price	Tier 6 price
1st	1200	1100	1000	900	800	700
2nd	2400	2200	2000	1800	1600	1400
3rd	3600	3300	3000	2700	2400	2100
4th	4800	4400	4000	3600	3200	2800
5th	6000	5500	5000	4500	4000	3500
6th	7200	6600	6000	5400	4800	4200
7th	8400	7700	7000	6300	5600	4900
8th	9600	8800	8000	7200	6400	5600
9th	10,800	9900	9000	8100	7200	6300
10th	12,000	11,000	10,000	9000	8000	7000

etc.

Example: A 2nd-level dwarven barbarian has 2000 unspent XP out of 3800 total.  He could at this time purchase a level of a tier 3 or lower class, or continue to save his XP for a level of a tier 1 or 2 class.

Has anyone beaten me to this basic idea?  -- Pteryx

[veekie]

Well...the core issues remain pretty much unchanged, only you've probably thrown off various DCs and ACs from the RNG...

[bkdubs123]

The biggest problem I see with it is that as the party continues to gain levels, the characters at lower levels would be gaining MORE experience than the rest of the party. So, I don't know that it actually solves anything.

So the party Wizard needs to save up his experience in order to gain purely Tier 1 levels. Once the rest of the party (Warblade, Factotum, Binder) has reached 4th level (10000 xp total), the Wizard is still 3rd level - 2000 away from 4th. The Wizard is going to start gaining more XP from combats than the rest of the party. He's two encounters from 4th level while the rest of the party is roughly five encounters from 5th level.

If the math sticks, the party won't ever be a full level ahead of the Wizard until 17th level. It doesn't seem to be a significant enough impact to "balance" the game, if that's what you're after.

Old Char Lv   Tier 1     Tier 2     Tier 3     Tier 4      Tier 5     Tier 6
1st              1600      1300      1000      800         700        500

Starting with a table like that might make it a significant enough difference to really change the scope of the game. I still don't know how well "balanced" the result will be, but at least there should be a significant change.

(The math)
[spoiler]At 15k XP, the Warblade, Factotum, and Binder are at 5th level. However, the Wizard is sitting on 15.3k XP and at 4th level (needing 2.7 to make it to 6th). Again, the Wizard needs roughly two encounters to reach 5th, while the rest of the party will reach 6th level in roughly four encounters.

At 21k XP, the Warblade, Factotum, and Binder are at 6th level. However, the Wizard is sitting on 21.5k XP and at 5th level (needing 3.7 to make it to 6th). Again, the Wizard needs roughly two encounters to reach 6th, while the rest of the party will reach 7th in roughly four encounters.

At 28k XP, the Warblade, Factotum, and Binder are at 7th level. However, the Wizard is sitting on 29.4k XP and at 6th level (needing 4k to make it to 7th). Again, in two encounters the Wizard will catch up, but the rest of the party will break away in four encounters.

At 36k XP, the party will be at 8th level, except the Wizard who sits on 37.6k XP and 7th level (needing 5.6 to make it to 8th). In two encounters the Wizard will catch up.

At 45k XP, the party will be at 9th level, except the Wizard who sits on 47.1k XP and 8th level (needing 6.9 to make 9th). In two encounters the Wizard will catch up.

At 55k XP, the party will be at 10th level, except the Wizard who sits on 56.9k XP and 9th level (needing 9.1 to make 10th). This is where it finally breaks. The Wizard needs three encounters to reach 10th level, while the rest of the party still makes 11th in four encounters.[/spoiler]

[JaronK]

You could easily fix that problem by having experience gain and WBL be based on how much experience you have (according to the standard chart) instead of your ECL.  So, someone with enough experience to normally be a 6th level character would gain experience for challenges as a 6th level character, even if they were a 5th level Wizard or a 7th level Samurai.

It's an interesting system.  Needs a little work, but the idea is interesting.

JaronK

[bkdubs123]

You could easily fix that problem by having experience gain and WBL be based on how much experience you have (according to the standard chart) instead of your ECL.  So, someone with enough experience to normally be a 6th level character would gain experience for challenges as a 6th level character, even if they were a 5th level Wizard or a 7th level Samurai.

A promising idea.

[veekie]

You could easily fix that problem by having experience gain and WBL be based on how much experience you have (according to the standard chart) instead of your ECL.  So, someone with enough experience to normally be a 6th level character would gain experience for challenges as a 6th level character, even if they were a 5th level Wizard or a 7th level Samurai.

It's an interesting system.  Needs a little work, but the idea is interesting.

JaronK

Thats the way to do it, yeah.

[Ashtagon]

The initial point of temporarily losing the ability to magic magic items and otherwise XP on crafting stuff, can easily be fixed. Just change level up from "automatic on gaining the necessary XP" to "A player-initiated decision that happens only if the character is having a 'long rest' (optional: having training from a master), and only if he has the minimum XP necessary for the new level".

The secondary goal of balancing the different classes is probably best done by mechanically balancing them, rather than having different XP tables. I've a feeling the rules that give  different amounts of XP depending on CR etc will quickly counterbalance this penalty, plus it makes for an accounting nightmare, especially if the character starts multi-classing between classes that have different tiers.

[veekie]

It's undoubtedly just a patchwork, but could be a functional one.