How do you handle new abilities/spells upon level up?

[Eradis]

I guess I've been lazy on that front so far, or at least for dungeons & dragons and went with the "it just happens" mentality.

How do you handle these in your game? How do you explain in a role playing way the newest additions to the wizard's spellbook or that flashy new move that the rogue never practiced yet masters suddenly?

[Trampaige]

I liked how my DM handled my blade pact glaive manifesting.

I was laying on the ground during the long rest and suddenly a giant, pure obsidian blade burst out of my chest in a spray of blood and bone. The other party members tried to pull it out of me, but it was like an immovable rod. I had to pull it foot by foot out of my own chest while writhing and screaming. The wound instantly closed as a nasty scar down my chest, with not a scratch on my back.

Almost like accidentally making a pact with a greater demon isn't the most comfortable experience.


I think that spells gained on level up are kind of like that math function that makes no sense to you, you're struggling with it in your head, and then one day it just clicks and you comprehend the process.

[Millstone85]

How do you explain in a role playing way the newest additions to the wizard's spellbook or that flashy new move that the rogue never practiced yet masters suddenly?I believe the game's assumption is that characters do in fact practice their arts, even if that happens "offscreen".

[Keravath]

Usually that learning is assumed to occur leading up to the point of leveling. By the time the character reaches the next level they have perfected or improved on the abilities that they can now use regularly when they level up.

How you play this in the game is entirely up to you. Most of the time, folks don't want to be bothered saying that they are training or practicing during their downtime. Maybe they spend an hour of their long rest stretching, practicing with weapons, working on the skills of their class. Maybe part of every short rest is devoted to training. However, those times usually aren't much fun from a role playing perspective ... they are just mechanical background to account for the acquisition of new skills when a character levels up. The DM is welcome to spin it however they like .. since it is a magic world the DM could even say that characters magically acquire the new skills as they level up. Personally, I prefer the idea that characters are constantly working on their skills and abilities and leveling up just reflects the character having brought some new skills to a level at which they are reliable enough to use regularly.

The same goes for researching how to cast new spells. Experimenting with different combinations. There is nothing that says that there is ONLY one way to cast a fireball for example. It could be most wizards work out their own way unless they copy someone else's approach by copying the directions from their spell book. There could be hundreds of different ways to cast a fireball for example ... but mechanically they accomplish the same thing. Anyway, when a wizard levels up they have been able to develop the couple of new spells they have been working on to the point where they can be used.

Anyway, the bottom line is it is entirely up to the DM how you want to foreshadow the acquisition of new skills at level up ... mechanically, whatever the DM decides to do, in my opinion, it shouldn't negatively impact that acquisition of new skills. (for example, some DMs might require training with a higher level character in the same class for some time before allowing a level up to occur ... personally, I find that too onerous and restrictive ... but it is up to the DM).

[hymer]

My most recent character, a wizard, writes out the session recaps. She just gained a level after completing a dungeon, and towards the end of the recap, she looks to the future, and foresees a clash with some particular baddies. She then says that she needs to get back to her experiments and studies, because she has some spells in mind which may come in handy against them.
So we play 'it just happens', but I do a little to flesh it out narratively.

I'd like some day to run a sand box campaign with XP and training for level advancement as a means to keep PCs on a somewhat even footing. I don't really know how I'd pull it off, though.

[Eradis]

I'd like some day to run a sand box campaign with XP and training for level advancement as a means to keep PCs on a somewhat even footing. I don't really know how I'd pull it off, though.

There are a few system that uses a "training" or "you get better as you use it" to handle skill improvement. Last one I notice was Hero Kids or First Fables, one of the two. Those are of course introduction systems made for a younger audience, but the principle is pretty neat. You roll the maximum you can on your dice naturally, well, you add one die permanently. So it gets tougher and tougher to enhance your skills. I don't recall if you had to confirm those gain with a second roll, but still. The dice number depended on your starting abilities. So you could have a d4 for mental abilities, d6 for physical's, and d8 for social's for example. Of course I'm telling you the idea behind it, those are probably not the exact numbers, but it gives you a general idea. Easy to homebrew a simple system around that though. I think there is a variation of Mortals or World of Darkness that works this way, but I couldn't tell you which one.

As for the other answers, thank you. I know it is implied that characters practice their arts while resting, and this is what I'm usually assuming, but I've done some origin-type of games lately where I really role played every gain with my players. One of which was an amazing Warlock solo adventure. I don't despise the class anymore thanks to that player. I'm still interested on how else we can implement those gain, especially around a full table.

[RedMage125]

I think that spells gained on level up are kind of like that math function that makes no sense to you, you're struggling with it in your head, and then one day it just clicks and you comprehend the process.

This is almost ver batim the way it was explained in older editions, I think it was 2e...may have been 3e. They said it was kind of like studying math all the time, and working on it constantly, but then going and getting a good night's rest, and when you wake up, you suddenly realize what a cosine is.

That's the most logically coherent thing I can think of for wizard spells, anyway. Wizards are constantly studying the formulae for spells and such. All that "math" is already running through their head, and they've probably heard of some of those higher-level spells before, even if they can't cast them. Then after they rest, their brain gets a chance to reset and "Eureka!"

Sorcerers I don't think it matters. They just get new spells because it's part of that development of their bloodline or something. Warlocks I kind of figure the knowledge comes to them in dreams, or is otherwise PUT there by the patron (unless the flavor of your pact is that you're STEALING your "patron's" power, then perhaps you get to have a dream where you take something from him/her). Pact of the Tome locks may have the spells appear in their book. Almost certainly so if they're also ritual spells. Chainlocks may get new spells whispered to them by their familiar. Bladelocks may see runes that no one else can see on the blade of their weapon, teaching them new spell formulae.

BTW, I loved the glaive thing.

Classes that pray for spells can change their whole lineup every day, so no need to expound on them.

I guess that just leaves bards. Bards can vary so wisely in flavor that I don't even know where to begin, but I guess the most generic way to go about it would be that the little bits of lore or stories that they've picked up, combined with their natural abilities as Jacks-of-all-trades who thrive on spontaneity and improvisation, allow them to put things together. Using Magical Secrets is as simple as "I saw(/heard about) that guy doing it, and decided to give it a try", which worked.

Non-magical abilities are easier. The character has been practicing this new move, and can finally pull it off.

[Tanarii]

Given there's always at least one player who likes to sayDing!? :smallamused:

I don't worry about it. I have downtime between each session just so time passes in the campaign (almost 15 years so far), and PCs rarely use it for anything, so I assume thats where they increase their skills.