Levels and Experience

Learn how to maximize your experience gains in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire! Discover XP sources, party size bonuses, and how inactive members gain experience.

Alright, let's talk about leveling up in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. It's a bit different from other RPGs you might have played, so pay attention!

First off, you don't get XP for just mowing down enemies. That might sound weird, but it means you'll be focusing on other things to grow your characters. The main ways you'll earn experience are by completing quests and bounties. Keep an eye out for those! You'll also get a little bit of XP for exploring new areas and filling out your bestiary, which is a nice bonus.

Experience Requirements Per Level

Here's a breakdown of how much XP you'll need to hit each level:

Lvl	XP
2	1000
3	3000
4	6000
5	10,000
6	15,000
7	21,000
8	28,000
9	36,000
10	45,000
11	55,000
12	66,000
13	78,000
14	91,000
15	105,000
16	120,000
17	136,000
18	153,000
19	171,000
20	190,000

Party Size and XP Bonuses

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Running with a smaller party actually gives you an XP bonus, which is a pretty neat way to encourage different playstyles. The fewer folks you have adventuring with you, the bigger the bonus:

Size	Bonus
5	-
4	+25%
3	+50%
2	+75%
1	+100%

Inactive Party Members

Don't worry about your companions sitting back at your stronghold. They're not completely left out of the XP gains. Inactive party members will receive 75% of the normal XP awarded. This stacks with the party size bonus, too. So, if you're playing solo (a party of 1), your inactive companions will actually get 150% of the XP awarded (that's 2x the normal XP because of the +100% bonus, then multiplied by 0.75 for being inactive).

On top of all that, if a companion is a lower level than your main character, they get an extra bonus. For every level they're behind you, they'll receive an additional 20% XP. This really helps them catch up if you decide to swap them into your active party later on.