XP: What to do?

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Ugh, I'm frustrated. I knew this was going to happen didn't expect it to happen so soon. My party of three have made it to just outside the Ice Temple. The problem is I noticed after killing most of the Aurelites that I didn't receive any xp from them. I know this is because I have a small party with too high of levels, but I'm really disappointed. I'm trying to figure out what option(s) I should take so that I can gain xp again. Here is my party's levels:

Ravaatra Gellantara
Female Deep Gnome Lawfully Evil
Monk of the Old Order 10

Marros Droverson
Male Human Lawfully Neutral
Monk of the Old Order 1/Fighter 2/Druid 8

Crueak Arborshate
Male Drow Chaotic Evil
Rogue 2/Ranger 1/Fighter 2/Wizard 7

Total Party level: 33 / 3 = 11
Add another member: 34 / 4 = 8+

I had planned on squating as much as possible, but I wanted more 3rd level Wiz spells and more 4th level Druid spells. I know adding another character would help and I'm considering adding a Female Drow Monk 3/Fighter 4/Cleric X (Crueak's sister or cousin).

 

you can download a tweaked xp table here:
http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/IWD2/index_editors1.php

also check weimers ease of use mod for iwd2, i think it also has the option "always get some xp".

 

Why dont you add a pally[1]/Sorc[x] ?
So long as he stays out of the way he can remain at the pally level.

If you want these 3 to do most of the work with the new addition playing only minor support, you could go for a bard with the singing bard AI. And never give any orders except to move around.

And while calculating average party levels, the answers are rounded down. So...
34/4 = 8.5 ~ 8
So you can give the Druid another level without affecting your XP gain.

 

I downloaded the Weimer mod. It's not especially generous in its awards, but at least you don't feel like you're playing for nothing, a very frustrating feeling.

 

Yeah, I didn't like the idea of getting 0 xp for kills either. Weimer helps, haven't tried the tweaked table, so could someone who has, tell how much it affects?

 

Well, I decided to backtrack a little. I loaded the Auto Save game from when the airship first crashed. For some reason, I didn't level up my characters before leaving Targos. This is what I've got now:

Ravaatra Gellantara
Female Deep Gnome Lawfully Evil
Monk of the Old Order 7
77959 xp = +2 levels (+3 at 78000)

Marros Droverson
Male Human Lawfully Neutral
Monk of the Old Order 1/Fighter 2/Druid 7
68798 xp = +2 levels

Crueak Arborshate
Male Drow Chaotic Evil
Rogue 1/Ranger 1/Fighter 2/Wizard 5
73715 xp = +1 level (+2 @ 78000)

Total Party Level: 26
Avg Party Level: 8

So I'm going to add another Drow and make her a cleric (Cureak's sister). That'll change TPL to 27 and APL to 6. Not much of a difference but I'm sure it'll help compared to where I was at. Originally when I started playing Chapter 2, I advanced everyone which seem to put my APL too high to get xp. Now I'll think I'll squat them until I get to the Battle Squares.

Another question. What's the harm in standing beside the beetle nest slaying beetles instead of killing off the nest immediately? With my new party member, I'm getting 300 xp per beetle was as before I was only getting 125 xp (after advancing everyone). I'm thinking to bring my new member up to speed, I could just sit outside the nest slaying beetles until I get bored.

 

You have taken the levels too early. If you kill the whole bunch, but refuse to level up, your levels will remain low. I beated the ice temple with all level 5 characters and got a whole lot of experience.

Only thing is, that once you DO take the levels, you have to take them all at once and then you are stuck with the same problem again, just a bit further in the game

 

That's the problem I have with this game. If you take fewer characters to gain more xp quicker, it bites you in the hiney because you'll level up to fast to continue getting decent xp. On the plus side, if you were like level 10 going into Chapter 2, I would imagine that it would become to easy to play. Danged if you do and danged if you don't. I guess the question is how do you balance a small party with level squatting? At what point(s) should you level up?

 

Dont levelup everyone at once. I only levelup one charecter at a time depending on what I need to win the current battle.

In my current game I started off with a beserker and a high AC charecter.
While the DeepGnome has to take a few levels before she can level squat in her monk levels, the other can stay put until L9.
Since I know these guys will have to take level-ups at approximately L9 I will be adding another charecter before I go to the Horde Fortress.

I guess the main places where you might be forced to level-up are when facing Virec Vileclaw, Yukog, Sherincal, the river cave Dragons. Among others.
If you fall to the charms of being able to cast higher levels earlier, you wont get much XP now. If you stave off that and only levelup 1 or 2 people only, then you should never have to not gain XP.

 

To answer Shire, I did try try the tweaked xp table, didn't like it much, and switched to Weimer, which is decent and also has much other good stuff which you can take or not take.

For Vasago: a solution I've read about but not tried is to create a "drone" character that you never level--and never get anywhere near combat--to keep your party's overall xp down.

 

lol and near the end of the game he gets his lvls ?
like *slaps forehead* now i understood what we did ... babababommmm! here's your new elminster.

 

Lol yeah, Im playing in HOF mode now. Didnt ever level up since it wasnt needed ( I have a party with 6 level 17 chars ) since my summons slash trough all with ease.

Im at the ice temple now and got 14400 for killing an ice golem that could touch my zombie lords, but they got damage bonusses when they hit the golem.. Im having 6 levels stocked now, so if this continues this way , Ill be level 30 before Im in the underdark hehe