Class level?

[ikarius]

Errm, so I just hit Character Level 4, and even though I changed into Priest class immediately on starting the game, I'm still only Class Level 2.... I can't find anything in the help files discussing a different rate of progressing in character level than class level- how do I know when my class level will go up?

--Ikarius

[sekira]

ah yes, the great class level vs character level debate.

What it comes down to is class levels progress slower than character levels.

The details are you need a set number of "class kills" to get to each class level (15 for level 2, 30 for level 3, 60 for level 4, 100 for level 5, 160? for level 6, not sure for levels 7, 8, and 9, but it is 500 for the magic level 10)

A class kill has a specific definition, and I'm not 100% certain of it. I know only monsters that are higher level than you are are class kills, but there could also be a depth requirement.

What is the difference between a monster's level and a monster's depth? The depth is the monster's normal dungeon level, while the level is that particular monster's overall power.

In portralis a small kobold isn't the same as any other small kobold, and that is one of the great things about the game.

A small kobold may have depth 3, but you can still find a level 30 small kobold on dungeon level 20. That level 30 small kobold will be a heck of a lot easier to kill than a level 30 monster that is depth 20 though. This partially helps to explain why one kill of a level 5 monster gives you more exp than another kill of a level 5 monster, although even the exp calculations are more complicated than that.

Portralis is designed to encourage diving. trying to stay around a shallow dungeon level for a while to get some safe exp and safe class levels doesn't work too well. It might work, but you will find very quickly that almost everything gives 0 exp and isn't considered a class kill, and so things will go very slowly if you try to play it safe.

When in doubt, dive. You will get the fastest exp and class levels by only exploring a dungeon level that is as deep as you can survive, preferably a dungeon level that is actually deeper than your character level, though that isn't always possible.

[sekira]

hmm now that I think about it, it might be 1000 class kills for class level 10... I'm not sure.

[Gando]

Actually its in the online help of the game.

But here is the progression:
level kills
1 0
2 15
3 30
4 60
5 100
6 150
7 200
8 300
9 400
10 500

The depth requirement was removed however, level requirements are still in place (they must be > than your level) and summoned/cloned monsters give no xp or kill.

[ikarius]

Actually, it's not in the online help

I did track it down though- it's in the "newbs.txt" file in the lib\help directory, which I'd looked at earlier, and dismissed because up near the top, it talks about NewAngband, so I wrote it off as likely out of date, and didn't read all the way down to the class levels section. The classes guide in the online help doesn't have a word to say about it.

Cest la vie- I understand how it works now.


Cheers
Ikarius