AD&D Level Advancement

There are some odd patterns inherant in the level advancment of AD&D characters. For instance, it takes less experience to advance from 2nd level, to 3rd level, than it does for a character to advance from 1st to 2nd level. After 2nd level, advancement is, for the most part, geometric. This makes sense, as it takes progressively more and more experience points to advance each level -- and characters should be doing more and more, in order to become better at what they do. There is an odd skewing of XP from 10th to 11th level, as though 10th level were the jumping off point for strange things. Rising from 14th to 15th level requires more XP than any other advancement (below 21st level). Part of this is due to the factoring in of the Druid class advancement; at 17th level, Druids need only 500k XP to advance to the next level. However, this factoring in is only partially responsible for the odd advancements at higher levels. Rationalizing, one might say that high level characters are a plateau unto themselves.

The real point of this information, is to allow Dungeon Masters a gauge by which they can compare the advancement of their party. The data provided below is based off of an averaging of all the Player's Handbook classes: Fighters, Rangers/Paladins, Wizards/Specialists, Clerics, Druids, and Thieves/Bards. The averages can then be used to compute the average amount of experience points required to advance, at each level. Dividing this number by a fraction, ensures that the average member of the party advances one level, for every fractionally related number of sessions. If a Dungeon Master wished for his party to advance one level, every ten gaming sessions, then he could divide the level-up requirement per level by ten (such as is done, below). Different fractional divisions yields higher or lower advancement rates. Sadly, this information deals only with single-classed characters, and not with multi-classes. In general, however, multi-classed characters require double the experience points of single-classed characters, to advance a level. All data is, of course, based on averages, and is not necessarily applicable to all circumstances.

Standard Class XP Requirements

Level Fighter Ranger/
Paladin Wizard/
Specialist Cleric Druid Thief/
Bard Average

1 - - - - - - -

2 2,000 2,250 2,500 1,500 2,000 1,250 1,917

3 4,000 4,500 5,000 3,000 4,000 2,500 3,250

4 8,000 9,000 10,000 6,000 7,500 5,000 7,583

5 16,000 18,000 20,000 13,000 12,500 10,000 14,917

6 32,000 32,000 40,000 27,500 20,000 20,000 28,583

7 64,000 75,000 60,000 55,000 35,000 40,000 54,833

8 125,000 150,000 90,000 110,000 60,000 70,000 100,833

9 250,000 300,000 135,000 225,000 90,000 110,000 185,000

10 500,000 600,000 250,000 450,000 125,000 160,000 347,500

11 750,000 900,000 375,000 675,000 200,000 220,000 520,000

12 1,000,000 1,200,000 750,000 900,000 300,000 440,000 765,000

13 1,250,000 1,500,000 1,125,000 1,125,000 750,000 660,000 1,068,333

14 1,500,000 1,800,000 1,500,000 1,350,000 1,500,000 880,000 1,421,667

15 1,750,000 2,100,000 1,875,000 1,575,000 3,000,000 1,100,000 1,900,000

16 2,000,000 2,400,000 2,250,000 1,800,000 3,500,000 1,320,000 2,211,667

17 2,250,000 2,700,000 2,625,000 2,025,000 500,000* 1,540,000 1,856,667

18 2,500,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 2,250,000 1,000,000 1,760,000 2,251,667

19 2,750,000 3,300,000 3,375,000 2,475,000 1,500,000 1,980,000 2,563,333

20 3,000,000 3,600,000 3,750,000 2,700,000 2,000,000 2,200,000 2,875,000

Standard Class XP Requirements
Level	Fighter	Ranger/ Paladin	Wizard/ Specialist	Cleric	Druid	Thief/ Bard	Average
1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	2,000	2,250	2,500	1,500	2,000	1,250	1,917
3	4,000	4,500	5,000	3,000	4,000	2,500	3,250
4	8,000	9,000	10,000	6,000	7,500	5,000	7,583
5	16,000	18,000	20,000	13,000	12,500	10,000	14,917
6	32,000	32,000	40,000	27,500	20,000	20,000	28,583
7	64,000	75,000	60,000	55,000	35,000	40,000	54,833
8	125,000	150,000	90,000	110,000	60,000	70,000	100,833
9	250,000	300,000	135,000	225,000	90,000	110,000	185,000
10	500,000	600,000	250,000	450,000	125,000	160,000	347,500
11	750,000	900,000	375,000	675,000	200,000	220,000	520,000
12	1,000,000	1,200,000	750,000	900,000	300,000	440,000	765,000
13	1,250,000	1,500,000	1,125,000	1,125,000	750,000	660,000	1,068,333
14	1,500,000	1,800,000	1,500,000	1,350,000	1,500,000	880,000	1,421,667
15	1,750,000	2,100,000	1,875,000	1,575,000	3,000,000	1,100,000	1,900,000
16	2,000,000	2,400,000	2,250,000	1,800,000	3,500,000	1,320,000	2,211,667
17	2,250,000	2,700,000	2,625,000	2,025,000	500,000*	1,540,000	1,856,667
18	2,500,000	3,000,000	3,000,000	2,250,000	1,000,000	1,760,000	2,251,667
19	2,750,000	3,300,000	3,375,000	2,475,000	1,500,000	1,980,000	2,563,333
20	3,000,000	3,600,000	3,750,000	2,700,000	2,000,000	2,200,000	2,875,000

* See Player's Handbook for details.

Level Progression Analysis

Level AVG XP Req ABS Diff /3 /4 /5 /6 /10

1 - - - - - - -

2 1,917 1,917 639 479 383 320 192

3 3,250 1,333 444 333 267 222 133

4 7,583 4,333 1,444 1,083 867 722 433

5 14,917 7,334 2,445 1,834 1,467 1,222 733

6 28,583 13,666 4,555 3,417 2,733 2,278 1,367

7 54,833 26,250 8,750 6,563 5,250 4,375 2,625

8 100,833 46,000 15,333 11,500 9,200 7,667 4,600

9 185,000 84,167 28,056 21,042 16,833 14,028 8,417

10 347,500 162,500 54,167 40,625 32,500 27,083 16,250

11 520,000 172,500 57,500 43,125 34,500 28,750 17,250

12 765,000 245,000 81,667 61,250 49,000 40,833 24,500

13 1,068,333 303,333 101,111 75,833 60,667 50,556 30,333

14 1,421,667 353,334 117,778 88,334 70,667 58,889 35,333

15 1,900,000 478,333 159,444 119,583 95,667 79,722 47,833

16 2,211,667 311,667 103,889 77,917 62,333 51,945 31,167

17 1,856,667 355,000 118,333 88,750 71,000 59,167 35,500

18 2,251,667 395,000 131,667 98,750 79,000 65,833 39,500

19 2,563,333 311,666 103,889 77,917 62,333 51,944 31,166

20 2,875,000 311,667 103,889 77,917 62,333 51,945 31,167

Level Progression Analysis
Level	AVG XP Req	ABS Diff	/3	/4	/5	/6	/10
1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	1,917	1,917	639	479	383	320	192
3	3,250	1,333	444	333	267	222	133
4	7,583	4,333	1,444	1,083	867	722	433
5	14,917	7,334	2,445	1,834	1,467	1,222	733
6	28,583	13,666	4,555	3,417	2,733	2,278	1,367
7	54,833	26,250	8,750	6,563	5,250	4,375	2,625
8	100,833	46,000	15,333	11,500	9,200	7,667	4,600
9	185,000	84,167	28,056	21,042	16,833	14,028	8,417
10	347,500	162,500	54,167	40,625	32,500	27,083	16,250
11	520,000	172,500	57,500	43,125	34,500	28,750	17,250
12	765,000	245,000	81,667	61,250	49,000	40,833	24,500
13	1,068,333	303,333	101,111	75,833	60,667	50,556	30,333
14	1,421,667	353,334	117,778	88,334	70,667	58,889	35,333
15	1,900,000	478,333	159,444	119,583	95,667	79,722	47,833
16	2,211,667	311,667	103,889	77,917	62,333	51,945	31,167
17	1,856,667	355,000	118,333	88,750	71,000	59,167	35,500
18	2,251,667	395,000	131,667	98,750	79,000	65,833	39,500
19	2,563,333	311,666	103,889	77,917	62,333	51,944	31,166
20	2,875,000	311,667	103,889	77,917	62,333	51,945	31,167