Leveling up! It’s synonymous with D&D and one of the game’s biggest contributions to gaming culture. The very idea of gaining a level has become a staple of RPG video games, board games, and even most (but not all, as we’ll discuss) Tabletop Roleplaying Games. But is it the best way to handle character advancement in D&D 5th Edition?

Dael Kingsmill of the MonarchsFactory YouTube channel has some different ideas. In a recent video, she even suggested that D&D shouldn’t use levels! Our knee-jerk reaction was to pass out the torches and pitchforks, but maybe she’s on to something. A lot of RPGs handle leveling in different ways, and we play a couple (TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes RPG and Call of Cthulhu, to name two) that don’t use leveling at all. Maybe it’s not so crazy to consider swapping levels out of D&D for the kind of open XP-buy system Dael suggests?

Also, this is our first podcast recorded in-person as the guys finally get together in 3WD headquarters: Our game room. (We apologize for the extra echoes and room sounds.) Together with about two gallons of coffee, Thorin, Tony and Dave break down Dael’s suggestions and talk about how different games and older D&D editions handled leveling, player agency in PC advancement, leveling beyond 20 and more! Don’t miss it.

2:00 Dael Kingsmill says D&D shouldn’t use character levels. Is that a crazy idea?

4:00 Do D&D classes have 20 levels worth of good level-up stuff?

8:00 Using XP as a currency to buy character powers (much like the TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG)

13:00 How to grind: Looking at how different systems handle leveling up, including past D&D editions

18:00 Are levels hard for new players to understand?

23:00 DM emotional blackmail and a little bit about our Christmas games

25:00 Is D&D inherently a level-up game?

27:00 “I got a rock” - Should we offer a way to pass up your class level ability for a feat or some other type of flexibility?

34:00 What we like and don’t like about how D&D 5E handles leveling, and how you could improve it

43:00 Does more flexibility make your character decisions less meaningful?

51:00 Character convergence: Unlimited customization can lead to a smaller number of builds actually being played

55:00 How can we add more options and player agency to leveling up?

64:00 Leveling beyond level 20 and how to challenge players once they get there

91:00 Final thoughts