Levels and Experience (2)

Learn how to maximize your XP in Pillars of Eternity! Discover how levels work, XP requirements, party bonuses, and how to earn experience without combat.

Hey there! So, you're diving into Pillars of Eternity and wondering about how leveling up works? It's a bit different from other RPGs you might have played, so let's break it down. Forget grinding enemies for XP – that's not how it works here!

Instead, your main sources of experience will be completing quests and bounties. You'll also get a little boost for exploring new areas and filling out your bestiary (that's the in-game encyclopedia that tracks creatures you encounter). Keep an eye out for those!

Here's a look at how much experience you'll need to hit each level:

Lvl	XP
2	1000
3	3000
4	6000
5	10,000
6	15,000
7	21,000
8	28,000
9	36,000
10	45,000
11	55,000
12	66,000
13	78,000
14	91,000
15	105,000
16	120,000

Now, about your party members: anyone not actively adventuring with you (they're chilling back at your stronghold) will still get some experience, but it's a bit less – 75% of the normal amount. But here's a cool trick: running with a smaller party actually gives you an XP bonus!

Size	Bonus
6	-
5	+10%
4	+20%
3	+30%
2	+40%
1	+50%

This means if you're going solo, your inactive party members still get a decent chunk of XP. For example, if you're playing solo (1 person in the active party), you get a +50% bonus. If those inactive members get 75% normally, and you apply that +50% bonus to their share, they end up getting 112.5% of the XP awarded. Pretty neat for keeping everyone leveled up!

When it comes to character progression, it's pretty straightforward:

• At each odd-numbered level (like level 3, 5, 7, etc.), your character gets a new Ability. These are usually unique to their class, so they'll feel really specialized.
• At each even-numbered level (like level 2, 4, 6, etc.), your character gets to pick a new Talent. Some of these are also class-specific, but others are general-purpose and can be chosen by any class. Choose wisely to tailor your character's build!