Editing Experience

'''Experience''' (commonly abbreviated '''exp.''' or '''xp''') is a central [[Gameplay mechanics|gameplay mechanic]] in ''Baldur's Gate 3''.

{{TOC}}

== Characters ==

[[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 [[Character level|level]] 1, and level up when they receive enough experience. Leveling up allows a character to take another level in a [[Classes|class]]. After reaching level 12, no further levels are gained.

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

{| class="wikitable"
!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.

If the player's main character has more experience than one or more party members, the player can remove them from the party and add them back, their experience will now be equal to the main character.

== 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 new [[List of locations|locations]]
* completing [[quests]] and quest steps
* succeeding [[Backgrounds|background]] goals (which also grants [[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 [[Nere]] for the purpose of succeeding [[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 new 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 amount of experience rewarded by defeating a creature, discovering a location or completing a quest is not visible in the user interface until the task is completed. Once completed, the amount of experience gained will briefly appear on screen, as well as in the Combat Log.

=== Defeating creatures ===

The amount of experience obtained by defeating a [[Creatures|creature]] is determined by:
# the creature level (see below for an exception)
# 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
* Civilian
* Pack
* Combatant
* Elite
* Miniboss
* 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, [[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 grant the experience rewarded by a level 3 "Combatant", so 20 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-characters.png|300px|thumb|right|Experience versus level for each reward category]]

{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="7" | Reward categories
|-
!Level
!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
|}

Defeating a creature can 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 [[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 talk with Far'aag to avoid a fight, in which case they are granted 300 experience too. Killing the 4 NPCs afterwards grants 0 experience.

=== Discovering new locations ===

The amount of experience obtained by discovering new [[List of locations|locations]] (internally referenced as "Exploration Reward") is determined by:
# the area level (see below for an exception)
# 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
* Medium
* Big
* LevelBoost (which is not actually assigned to any area)

Similarly, the area level is not visible anywhere in the user interface.

If the area level is lower than the main [[character level]], then the game uses the main character level instead of the area level to choose the reward. For example, when discovering [[Crèche Y'llek]], which is a level 5 "Big" area, if the main character is level 5, it will grant 240 experience; if the main character is level 6, it will grant 280 experience; and if the main character is level 7, it will grant 300 experience.

[[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
|-
!Level
!Small
!Medium
!Big
!LevelBoost
|-
|1
|5
|10
|15
|100
|-
|2
|10
|20
|30
|200
|-
|3
|30
|60
|90
|300
|-
|4
|40
|75
|130
|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 and quest steps ===

The [[quests]] on themselves don't grant experience on completion, but their steps do. All the quests are divided into steps (internally referenced as "QuestStep") and 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 still can 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]]

The amount of experience obtained by completing a step is determined by:
# the 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
* CombatCloseMajor
* ProgressBooster
* ProgressMajor
* CloseBoosterEasy
* CombatCloseMain
* CloseBoosterHard
* ProgressMain
* CloseMajor
* BypassedCombatMedium
* CloseMain

There is actually a 12th category, "BackgroundGoal", but as its name suggests, it is not assigned to completing quests but to succeeding background goals.

For example, in the 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.

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

{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="11" | Reward categories
|-
!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
|}

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

=== Succeeding background goals ===

The amount of experience obtained by succeeding a [[background]] goal is determined by:

# the reward level assigned to the background goal

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 [[Acolyte]] is a level 6 background goal, so it grants 60 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"
!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
|}

Succeeding background goals also grant [[inspiration]]s.


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[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]