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Levelling Up

When a character earns enough experience to cross the next class threshold, their abstract gains translate into a measurable improvement.

What changes on level-up

The exact gains depend on the character's class, but most level-ups change one or more of:

  • Hit points — a roll on the class's Hit Die (e.g. d10 for Fighters, d8 for Clerics and Thieves, d4 for Mages). Constitution adds a bonus.
  • THAC0 — front-line warriors improve by one every level or two; spellcasters more slowly.
  • Saving throws — each save category improves on its own schedule per class.
  • Spell slots — wizards and priests gain new spell slots and access to higher spell levels. Sorcerers gain additional spells known.
  • Weapon proficiencies — gained at intervals defined by class (see Character).
  • Thieving skills — Thieves and Bards distribute new skill points across their thieving skills each level.
  • Class-specific abilities — high-level abilities unlock at specific milestones (Specialist Priest powers, Druidic shape change, Bard lore, etc.).

Where to level up

You level up at the character record screen, via the Level Up icon, once you've crossed an XP threshold. Multi-class characters level each class separately as its individual XP share crosses that class's threshold.

Reference tables

Specific numbers for each class live in the progression tables — XP, Hit Dice, THAC0, saving throws, and spells per day.

Source: synthesised from bgee/original_manuals/baldurs_gate_1_ee_mastering_melee_and_magic.pdf — class progressions, "Tables" appendix.