The annoyances of level-squatting

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I think it's really cool and great and all when you can level up a bunch of levels at once, but the real problem is that when you do level-up, you start earning darn near nothing each encounter.

My question is this: Does level-squatting actually work, or will I end up with the same results either way?

 

It mainly works this way: just level only your sorc and cleric to level 20 and keep your other party members as useless low level rubbish. This way you get more experience and will have access to extremely powerful spells you are not supposed to get that early and the game will be very easy.
Not fun for me, but if your really like useless party members ...

 

Level-squatting by itself is useless, since as soon as you level up you stop gaining any XP. It works better if your PCs take turns squatting - all of them squat for a while, then you only level up #1, squat for a while, only level up #2, squat for a while...

To really get the most out of level squatting you need to combine the above with muling (what kmonster refers to as "useless party members"). Say you want to use a party of 4. Start with those 4, squat for a while, then when you start leveling them up add a 5th (and even a 6th) member. You're never going to use those mules, so they stay at level 1 and keep your average party level low enough that your "real" PCs can still gain XP.

I personally never bother with any kind of XP-increading schemes, as it tends to make the game (in Normal mode at least) much too easy and boring.

 

IME, Normal Mode is way too easy after you reach about 5th level anyway. The challenges just don't match up after that except for a select few fights.

 

I usually lvl-squatt to make normal mode harder and HOF-mode easier.

I lvl-squatt the whole party and unsquatt one of my chars when it gets too hard (usually the one with the lowest lvl by then so that everyone gets their time to shine.) I usually plan somewhat to make my druid powerful in the woods, DG:s when it's time to slay duergars and so on.

In HOF-mode they have usually reached around lvl 20 (sometimes some lvls more) and then I lvl them all up once each in the early chapters and start squatting again since the squatting won't affect the caster-types much (and I usually have caster-heavy parties).

I hate using pure mules since I like vaving large versatile parties where everyone has their strengths (and I don't consider the power to make the rest of the party gain more XP as a real strength.)

 

Some facts:
Level squating is the only way to reach level 30(with a "all way" trough normal and HoF mode) for a party of 6.
Level squating is "nearly" cheating but if you pay the price,then do the crime.
Level squating is boring AFTER you leveled, but not necesarly.
My tactic is to squat just one level, and when I´m about to reach the next one, level up.That way you always get the "+" sign on your character portrait.And you can see the difference between this and "massive" squating(like 5-6 or more levels monsters) by the amount of xp given.
At the finals stages of the game, you´re just "nearly" behind your HPs,BaB and spell level.And for the final battle, you "catch up" your real level.
Works really fine to me.

 

I have been involved in RPG since Judges Guild days,and writer/artists like Larry Elmore and Dave Arneson where my Heroes heh. CR ratings are new to me and I honestly do not like it. There was a sytem tool for working out all the creature abilities and its level,and allocating xp for each,it was in Dragon magazine way back. I have done Rolemaster also so have come across different ways to gain xps.

Here I have to adapt and level squat to the max. You need to get out of Level 1 quickly as you are vulnerable to weapons slaying you in one hit due to HPs low. I am at Lvl 15+ with 3 PCs and 3 at Lvl 10 at Ice temple stage. Crystal Golems give me about 8400xp each,so it helps. I find a mule class or 2,at Chapter 2 really helps(I have 3 and 3 main PCs)as xps are accelerated for Golems,Winter Wolves(1050xp heh),etc! I find raising a Spell caster to a needed level to survive or multiclassing worries to contend with my only reasons to jump up levels. I use a barrage of ranged weapons mainly to survive encounters in the mean time(Darts & Slings=strength + rapid fire feat!)hiihii.