View source for Gaining Levels

As you adventure and gain experience, you advance in level. Gaining a level (also called leveling or leveling up) is one of the biggest rewards you'll receive for your success in the game—your character improves in several ways every time you go up a level. Each time you overcome a noncombat encounter, defeat monsters, or complete a quest, your Dungeon Master awards you experience points (XP). When you earn enough XP, you reach a new level. For more about rewards, see [[:Category:Chapter_8_/_Adventuring|Chapter 8]]. The Character Advancement table shows the total XP you need to reach each level and the abilities and other benefits you gain with each new level.

==Step by Step==

Refer to the character advancement table and follow these steps when your character gains a level.
At many levels, you gain access to a new power or feat. Refer to your class section in [[:Category:Chapter_4_/_Character_Class|Chapter 4]] for the full listing of powers available to you, and [[:Category:Chapter_6_/_Feats|Chapter 6]] for a full list of feats.

This is a representation of your steady learning over time, or even time taken out from completing missions to focus on training. In game terms, as soon as you gain a level, you can immediately use your new powers and feats.

===Ability Scores===

If you've reached 3rd, 6th, 9th, or 12th level, you can increment one ability score of your choice by 1. This affects everything that keys off of that ability score. You may increase a stat beyond 4 this way (recall at character creation, you could not go above 4).

===Level Modifier===

Many of your stats use your level itself as a modifier (usually 1/2 level). Make note of what increases with the raw number of your level, and adjust your stats accordingly.

===Hit Points and Life Points===

Check your class section in [[:Category:Chapter_4_/_Character_Class|Chapter 4]] to see how many hit points you gain with your new level. Add those to your total. If you increased your Constitution score, increase your hit points, life points and number of surges by 1. Make note of your new fatigue value, and surge amount.

===Class Features===

When you check your class section for hit points, also check your class features to see if any of your powers or other abilities improve with level.

===Feats===

At every even numbered level, you may select a new feat. See [[:Category:Chapter_6_/_Feats|Chapter 6]] for a list of feats. You may now qualify for feats you couldn't take before.

===Powers===

At most levels, you gain access to a new power. You can take each at-will and reaction power only once (you can't choose the same power multiple times). You may select an encounter or daily power that you already have: this allows you to loadout that power multiple times if you have the slots.
Also, you may have additional slots for powers at your new level.

==Retraining==

A new level isn't just an opportunity to choose new options. Once with each level, you may select one feat, power, or skill selection you made previously and replace it with another one for which you qualify. You cannot replace feats that are prerequisites for other feats you have.

If you choose not to retrain at this time, don't worry. You retain any unspent retraining point you didn't use. Make note of this if you do.

Further, you can accomplish character-focused missions in order to retrain yourself beyond the once-per-level limit if you feel a quest for personal growth is called for.

[[Category:Chapter_2_/_Making_Characters]]