Editing Experience

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| description = Experience is a unit of measurement used to quantify the player characters' progression through the game. Experience is rewarded for defeating creatures, discovering locations, completing quests and succeeding background goals.
| image = Xp-bar.png
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[[File:Level up icon.webp|frameless|left|32px]] '''Experience''' (commonly abbreviated '''exp.''' or '''xp''') is a unit of measurement used to quantify the [[Origins|player characters]]' progression through the game. Characters start at 0 experience and can gain up to 100,000 experience, which is the experience required to reach [[Character level|level]] 12. Experience is rewarded for defeating [[creatures]], discovering [[List of locations|locations]], completing [[quests]] and succeeding [[Backgrounds|background]] goals. When the characters receive enough experience, they level up, improving their [[Creatures#Creature_statistics|statistics]] and allowing the player to further specialize their characters.

{{TOC}}

== Characters experience ==

[[File:Xp-bar.png|300px|thumb|right|The experience bar inside the Inventory window]]

[[File:Levelup-bar.png|300px|thumb|right|The bar once the character is ready to level up]]

All characters start at 0 experience and gain [[Character level|levels]] when they receive enough experience. After gaining 100,000 experience, they reach level 12 and no further experience is gained.

The experience cumulated at each level and the experience required to reach the next level is described in the following table:

{| class="wikitable"
!Character Level
!Cumulative exp.
!Exp. for next level
|-
|1
|0
|300
|-
|2
|300
|600
|-
|3
|900
|1,800
|-
|4
|2,700
|3,800
|-
|5
|6,500
|6,500
|-
|6
|13,000
|8,000
|-
|7
|21,000
|9,000
|-
|8
|30,000
|12,000
|-
|9
|42,000
|14,000
|-
|10
|56,000
|20,000
|-
|11
|76,000
|24,000
|-
|12
|100,000
|N/A
|}

When gaining experience, it is usually earned by all the [[companions]] who have joined the player, whether they are in the active party or at the [[campsite]]. The only exception is when a character is succeeding a [[Backgrounds|background]] goal, in which case only that character earns the experience.

When companions join the party, their experience is set to equal that of the main character. If the player's main character has more experience than one or more party members, the player can usefully remove them from the party and add them back. Conversely, this can make a companion lose any extra experience, though they will retain any resulting level-up.

== Sources of experience ==

[[File:Xp-gain-notification.png|300px|thumb|right|The game will briefly show the amount of experience gained over the heads of the party members. It will also show if the characters are ready to level up]]
[[File:Xp-gain-logs.png|300px|thumb|right|The amount of experience gained can be consulted in the Combat Log window]]

There are 4 sources of experience in the game:
* defeating [[creatures]]
* discovering [[List of locations|locations]]
* completing [[quests]] steps
* succeeding [[Backgrounds|background]] goals (which also grants [[File:Inspiration Icon.png|24px|link=]] [[inspiration]]s)

In many occurrences during the game, the player has the possibility to side with a creature for the purpose of succeeding a quest, then kill them afterwards. In doing so they effectively gain the experience from succeeding the quest and the experience from defeating the creature. For example, the player can side with {{CharLink|Nere}} for the purpose of succeeding {{Quest|Free True Soul Nere}}, then kill him and his minions afterwards to obtain the maximum of experience as possible (in addition of obtaining both the quest rewards and his items).

Discovering locations is the only source of experience that scales with the main [[character level]]. As a result, the amount of experience granted for visiting an area will be different from one player to another, depending of when each player visits the area for the first time.

The experience rewards are never visible in the user interface in advance. After achieving a task that rewards experience, the game will briefly show the amount of experience earned by the characters above their heads, and will also add it to the Combat Log.

=== Defeating creatures ===

The amount of experience rewarded for defeating a [[Creatures|creature]] is determined by:
# the largest number between the creature level and the [[area level]] where the creature is defeated
# the reward category assigned to the creature

There are 7 reward categories, which are are not visible anywhere in the user interface. From less to most rewarding:
* Zero ({{uuid|40806669-8c6b-4068-8bc4-07e4981bb020}})
* Civilian ({{uuid|c83d6caa-c5c3-4356-b55c-8d634535976c}})
* Pack ({{uuid|c1d87aaa-7548-44da-b9dd-d17b027a3885}})
* Combatant ({{uuid|810b5510-6748-4c8e-bef0-d990880ed1dd}})
* Elite ({{uuid|4ee02692-eb98-43a6-803f-2da645364568}})
* Miniboss ({{uuid|206b753f-bc3b-46af-98b9-0c711d98c678}})
* Boss ({{uuid|484393d9-eb7b-4b3b-b69b-5fdbfa940403}})

All the creatures start with the base reward category "Combatant". Every creature can then be overridden to another category, either downgraded to "Pack", "Civilian" or "Zero", or upgraded to "Elite", "Miniboss" or "Boss". For example, the level 1 [[Imp]] creature in the [[Nautiloid]] has no specific reward category, and the type to which it belongs ([[Fiend]]s) neither, so its reward category stays "Combatant". By contrast, most [[Humanoid]] commoners are downgraded to "Civilian", children are downgraded to "Zero", and important enemies are upgraded to "Miniboss" and "Boss".

Defeating "Zero" and "Civilian" creatures grants respectively 0 and 1 experience at any level. "Pack" creatures are the next weakest category and will provide much less experience than "Boss" creatures. For example, {{CharLink|Nere}} is a level 5 "Elite" creature, so defeating him rewards 90 experience. His minions are level 5 "Combatant" creatures, so defeating them rewards 75 experience each. Creatures of level 13 and above will provide as much experience as a level 12 creature.

If the creature level is lower than the area level, then the game uses the area level instead of the creature level to choose the reward. For example, when defeating a level 1 "Combatant" [[Goblin]] creature in the level 3 [[Blighted Village]] area, the game will use the area level and consider the creature to be a level 3 "Combatant". So it will grant 20 experience. When defeating a level 1 "Pack" [[Shadow-Cursed Raven]] creature in the level 5 [[Ruined Battlefield]], the game will consider the creature to be a level 5 "Pack". So it will grant 40 experience.

Killing a creature will reward no experience if the player already resolved the encounter without fighting. For instance, if the player peacefully talks their way out of an encounter, they will gain the same experience as if they had killed the creatures. Killing them afterwards will not earn the player any more experience. This is to prevent the player to double up on experience. When resolving the encounter peacefully, the player gets the experience for the creature they interacted with, as well as the experience for all the nearby creatures who would normally join the fight if the player decided to attack. For example, when entering the [[Crèche Y'llek]] and attacking {{CharLink|Far'aag}}, the 3 other [[Non-player characters|NPC]]s in the room join the fight. Killing them grants 75 each, since they are level 5 "Combatant" creatures, for a total of 300 experience. Instead of attacking, the player can persuade Far'aag to let them pass, which also rewards the party with 300 experience. Killing the 4 NPCs afterwards grants 0 experience.

Examining a creature doesn't provide its reward category, preventing the player to determine the precise amount of experience it will reward. However, the player can approximate it using the creature level, visible in the Examine window or while hovering the creature. The area level is not provided in the user interface either.

The experience granted by each level and each reward category is described in the following table:

[[File:Chart-experience-creatures.png|300px|thumb|right|Experience versus level for each reward category]]

{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="7" | Reward categories
|-
!Creature level or area level {{note|If the creature level is lower than the area level, then the game uses the area level instead of the creature level to choose the reward.}}
!Zero
!Civilian
!Pack
!Combatant
!Elite
!Miniboss
!Boss
|-
|1
|0
|1
|3
|10
|15
|20
|30
|-
|2
|0
|1
|5
|15
|25
|40
|75
|-
|3
|0
|1
|10
|20
|40
|50
|100
|-
|4
|0
|1
|20
|40
|75
|100
|150
|-
|5
|0
|1
|40
|75
|90
|150
|250
|-
|6
|0
|1
|50
|90
|150
|230
|320
|-
|7
|0
|1
|60
|110
|180
|280
|400
|-
|8
|0
|1
|75
|140
|220
|350
|500
|-
|9
|0
|1
|110
|200
|315
|500
|700
|-
|10
|0
|1
|135
|250
|400
|640
|875
|-
|11
|0
|1
|170
|320
|510
|800
|1,120
|-
|12+
|0
|1
|210
|400
|640
|1,000
|1,400
|}

The category "Zero" is actually the most used category in the game, it is assigned to 82 creatures.

The following table shows how many times each reward category is used in the game:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Zero
!Civilian
!Pack
!Combatant
!Elite
!Miniboss
!Boss
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" | Creatures
|82
|21
|36
|47
|26
|15
|12
|}

=== Discovering locations ===

The amount of experience rewarded for discovering [[List of locations|locations]] (internally referenced as "Exploration Reward") is determined by:
# the main [[character level]]
# the reward category assigned to the area

There are 4 reward categories, which are not visible anywhere in the user interface. From less to most rewarding:
* Small ({{uuid|4c4c1c60-3362-4e84-84ad-ae1a140b17ee}})
* Medium ({{uuid|be4218ef-3a29-4fbf-911a-255ee71d2b35}})
* Big ({{uuid|1e2436a8-309e-4c8f-b77a-a6b1e4889fd9}})
* LevelBoost ({{uuid|85d04f48-87c7-45e0-83c5-fdd5b11465df}})

Since the amount of experience granted for visiting an area is based on the main character level, the reward will be different from one player to another, depending of when each player visits the area for the first time. So for example, when discovering [[Crèche Y'llek]], which is a "Big" area, it will grant 120 experience if the main character is level 4, 240 experience if they are level 5, 280 experience if they are level 6 and 300 experience if they are level 7.

To maximize the experience reward, the player should level up before discovering a location. For example, in the case of Crèche Y'llek, the difference between going there at level 4 and going there at level 5 is 120 experience. So if the characters are close to reach level 5, the player might consider turning back and looking for other sources of experience, then come back to discover the Crèche once they are level 5. On the other hand, the difference between going there at level 6 and going there at level 7 is only 20 experience, so the player might consider the effort not worth it.

[[File:Chart-experience-locations.png|300px|thumb|right|Experience versus level for each reward category]]

The experience granted by each level and each reward category is described in the following table:

{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="4" | Reward categories
|-
!Main character level
!Small
!Medium
!Big
!LevelBoost
|-
|1
|5
|10
|15
|100
|-
|2
|10
|20
|30
|200
|-
|3
|30
|60
|90
|300
|-
|4
|40
|75
|120
|500
|-
|5
|80
|150
|240
|1,000
|-
|6
|95
|180
|280
|1,100
|-
|7
|115
|210
|300
|1,200
|-
|8
|150
|275
|370
|1,500
|-
|9
|210
|400
|530
|2,000
|-
|10
|260
|500
|660
|2,400
|-
|11
|330
|630
|850
|3,400
|-
|12
|420
|780
|1,000
|5,000
|}

The category "LevelBoost" is actually never used in the game, and the category "Small" is the most used one, it is assigned to 39 areas.

The following table shows how many times each reward category is used in the game:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Small
!Medium
!Big
!LevelBoost
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" | Areas
|39
|15
|11
|0
|}

=== Completing quests steps ===

The [[quests]] on themselves don't grant experience on completion, but their steps do. All the quests are divided into objectives, which themselves are divided into steps (internally referenced as "QuestStep"). Each step has its own experience reward. The steps are shown in the user interface, inside the Quest Journal. By clicking on a quest on the left side, all the completed steps for this quest are listed on the right side. The amount of experience obtained for a step is not visible in the Journal. While a step might not be required to complete a quest, it can still grant some experience, usually a small amount.

[[File:Quests-and-quest-steps.png|300px|thumb|right|The quest [[Find the Blood of Lathander]] and 3 of its completed steps, in the Quest Journal window]]

[[File:Chart-experience-quests.png|300px|thumb|right|Experience versus level for each reward category]]

There are 794 quest steps that reward experience.

The amount of experience rewarded for completing a step is determined by:
# the [[Area level|level of the area]] that triggers the completion
# the reward category assigned to the step

There are 11 reward categories, which are not visible anywhere in the user interface. From less to most rewarding:
* CombatCloseBooster ({{uuid|d28b13b0-e0c0-4b5c-b166-ff17e50322cf}})
* CombatCloseMajor ({{uuid|fae81b0d-9561-41c4-b71a-883272cfd3da}})
* ProgressBooster ({{uuid|bbac01c1-eddd-416a-837b-317944d09413}})
* ProgressMajor ({{uuid|85e62526-1d6d-4efb-8897-c602e530e7bf}})
* CloseBoosterEasy ({{uuid|ce7f8aea-6f9a-49b8-a3dd-7fb12d2eb745}})
* CombatCloseMain ({{uuid|7aa9ef5d-b431-4a94-85d9-a68d915d3b64}})
* CloseBoosterHard ({{uuid|67439439-7cba-4077-81e8-3224086fc6f7}})
* ProgressMain ({{uuid|0ccb6004-47e8-4356-9299-2f69fdfcb13d}})
* CloseMajor ({{uuid|436a9e5d-2102-4048-964d-2055a295e73e}})
* BypassedCombatMedium ({{uuid|86b0c895-49cd-4152-9b1e-dc2acd224025}})
* CloseMain ({{uuid|572cc0bc-ecf3-4a85-84be-10bdd2d60f3b}})

For example, in the quest {{Quest|Find the Blood of Lathander}} occurring in [[Act One]], one of the steps is ''"We learned that a powerful holy relic, the Blood of Lathander, could be somewhere nearby. We should keep an eye out for it as we explore the monastery."''. Its reward category is "ProgressMajor" and its completion triggers inside the [[Rosymorn Monastery]], which is a level 5 area. So completing this step grants 30 experience.

Some steps reward experience but don't appear in the Quest Journal. They are internally distinguishable for having an objective prefixed by {{c|HIDDEN_}}, a description equals to {{c|%%% EMPTY}} and their reward category is one of the "Booster" ones. For example, there is a hidden step in the Classroom of the [[Crèche Y'llek]]. If the party saves {{CharLink|Varrl}} either by talking down the teacher or healing them after the non-lethal injury, they will complete the step and the Quest Journal won't mention it. Its reward category is "CloseBoosterEasy" and its completion triggers in a level 5 area, so completing this hidden step rewards 35 experience.

Some steps also override the level of the area that triggers the completion (internally referenced as "LevelOverride"). For example, in the last objective of the quest {{Quest|Discover the Artefact's Secrets}}, there are three mutually exclusive steps. Two of them override the area level, which is 5, to 6. Their reward category is "CloseMajor" and the override changes the reward from 120 to 145 experience. There are 21 steps in total in the game that override their area level: 4 steps that override it to level 2 and 17 steps that override it to level 6.

There is actually a 12th reward category, "RecruitCompanion", which is rewarded for recruiting the following companions: {{CharLink|Shadowheart}}, {{CharLink|Astarion}}, {{CharLink|Gale}}, {{CharLink|Wyll}} and {{CharLink|Karlach}}. Each recruitment rewards 30 xp. Recruiting {{CharLink|Lae'zel}} and the non [[origins|origin]] companions doesn't reward any experience.

There are also 2,728 quest steps without any reward category. They effectively grant 0 experience on completion.

The experience granted by each level and each reward category is described in the following table:

{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="11" | Reward categories
|-
!Area level {{note|The area level can be overridden; there are 21 steps in the game that override their area level}}
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Booster
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Major
!Progress<br/>Booster
!Progress<br/>Major
!Close<br/>Booster<br/>Easy
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Main
!Close<br/>Booster<br/>Hard
!Progress<br/>Main
!Close<br/>Major
!Bypassed<br/>Combat<br/>Medium
!Close<br/>Main
|-
|1
|5
|5
|5
|5
|5
|15
|5
|5
|20
|30
|50
|-
|2
|5
|10
|10
|10
|10
|30
|15
|10
|30
|50
|50
|-
|3
|5
|10
|15
|15
|15
|30
|35
|30
|45
|70
|75
|-
|4
|5
|10
|20
|20
|25
|30
|50
|60
|60
|100
|100
|-
|5
|10
|20
|30
|30
|35
|60
|80
|120
|120
|200
|200
|-
|6
|10
|25
|35
|35
|40
|70
|95
|145
|145
|240
|240
|-
|7
|10
|30
|45
|45
|50
|80
|115
|175
|175
|290
|290
|-
|8
|10
|35
|55
|55
|65
|110
|145
|225
|225
|360
|360
|-
|9
|10
|40
|65
|65
|90
|160
|200
|320
|320
|525
|525
|-
|10
|10
|45
|75
|75
|110
|200
|250
|400
|400
|400
|650
|-
|11
|10
|50
|85
|85
|140
|250
|320
|500
|500
|500
|840
|-
|12
|10
|60
|95
|95
|175
|300
|400
|640
|640
|640
|1,000
|}

The category "CombatCloseMain" is actually never used in the game, and the category "ProgressBooster" is the most used one, it is assigned to 240 quest steps.

The following table shows how many times each reward category is used in the game:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Booster
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Major
!Progress<br/>Booster
!Progress<br/>Major
!Close<br/>Booster<br/>Easy
!Combat<br/>Close<br/>Main
!Close<br/>Booster<br/>Hard
!Progress<br/>Main
!Close<br/>Major
!Bypassed<br/>Combat<br/>Medium
!Close<br/>Main
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" | Quest<br/>steps
|2
|4
|240
|121
|114
|0
|63
|51
|167
|9
|23
|}

=== Succeeding background goals ===

[[File:Background-goal-notification.png|300px|thumb|right|A window will notify the player when succeeding a background goal. Note that the reward is wrong in this case, the character actually gained 50 experience]]

[[File:Background-goal-combat-log.png|300px|thumb|right|The actual amount of experience gained can be consulted in the Combat Log window]]

Goals are succeeded by making choices which fit the party characters' [[background]]s. There are 393 goals in the game, split between 12 backgrounds. Succeeding background goals also grant [[File:Inspiration Icon.png|24px|link=]] [[inspiration]]s.

The amount of experience rewarded for succeeding a background goal is determined by:

# the reward level assigned to the background goal

There is only 1 reward category, which is not visible anywhere in the user interface:
* BackgroundGoal ({{uuid|90f636c0-2d85-46d8-9760-30b57c664f4b}})

The level is related to the story progression, so goals that trigger later into the game usually have a higher level than goals that trigger at the beginning of the game. The level is not visible anywhere in the user interface For example, the goal "Honing the Darkness" for the background {{background|Acolyte}} is a level 6 background goal, so it grants 60 experience.

The game will briefly open a window to notify the player when a character succeed a background goal. However, as of patch 6, the experience reward announced in the window is sometimes incorrect. The player can consult the Combat Log to see the actual experience reward.

At the difference of the other sources of experience, only the character who is succeeding the background goal earns the experience. This means that some characters may level up before others. If a levelled-up companion is removed and re-added to the party, they keep the level but lose any excess experience.

The experience granted by each level is described in the following table:

[[File:Chart-experience-backgroundgoals.png|300px|thumb|right|Experience versus level]]

{| class="wikitable"
!Goal level
!Reward
|-
|1
|15
|-
|2
|20
|-
|3
|25
|-
|4
|30
|-
|5
|50
|-
|6
|60
|-
|7
|75
|-
|8
|95
|-
|9
|135
|-
|10
|170
|-
|11
|220
|-
|12
|275
|}

The level 1 is actually never used in the game, and the level 10 is the most used one, it is assigned to 92 background goals.

The following table shows how many times each level is used in the game:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Level 1
!Level 2
!Level 3
!Level 4
!Level 5
!Level 6
!Level 7
!Level 8
!Level 9
!Level 10
!Level 11
!Level 12
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" | Background<br/>goals
|0
|2
|8
|1
|63
|65
|40
|8
|54
|92
|57
|3
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

{{NavGameplay}}

[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]