Experience: Difference between revisions

[[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}}

== Character Experience==

!Character Level

!Cumulative XP

!XP for next level

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.

 

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.

==Experience Sources==

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

There are 7 reward categories, which are are not visible anywhere in the user interface. From less to most rewarding:

*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.

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.

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).

[[File:Chart-experience-creatures.png|350x350px|thumb|Creature XP charted by level and creature category]]

! 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.}}

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" |Creatures

===Discovering Locations===

When entering some [[List of locations|locations]] for the first time, the party will be rewarded with experience. There are 65 such locations in the game.

 

The amount of experience rewarded for discovering locations (internally referenced as "Exploration Reward") is determined by:

#the main [[character level]]

#the reward category assigned to the area

*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}})

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

[[File:Chart-experience-locations.png|350x350px|thumb|Discovery XP charted by level and region size]]

! colspan="4" |Reward categories

!Main character level

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" |Areas

===Completing Quests Steps ===

[[File:Chart-experience-quests.png|350x350px|thumb|Quest Step XP charted by level and step category]]

 

#the [[Area level|level of the area]] that triggers the completion

#the reward category assigned to the step

*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.

! 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

!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

| 9

===Completing Background Goals for Inspiration===

 

 

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

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

#the reward level assigned to the background goal

*BackgroundGoal ({{uuid|90f636c0-2d85-46d8-9760-30b57c664f4b}})

 

The game will briefly open a window to notify the player when a character completes 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.

 

 

[[File:Chart-experience-backgroundgoals.png|400x400px|thumb|Background Goal XP charted by level]]

!Goal level

| 170  

|220  

| 12

! Level 1

! Level 2

! Level 3

! Level 4

! Level 5

! Level 6

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;font-weight:700" |Background<br />goals

| 8

| 63