The Definitive Icewind Dale II Extended XP Table

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The Definitive IWD2 Extended XP Table v1.1
===============by 1eyedking===============

Extract the "Override" folder into the directory where you installed
Icewind Dale II (e.g.: C:\Program Files\Icewind Dale II).

This is a perfectly balanced extended XP table. It was crafted
by determining the multipliers for experience between each level
jump, across all of the experience point award table.

After said constants were calculated and other placeholder values
inferred, their distribution pattern was deduced and written into
a spreadsheet matrix, which even led to some minor corrections.

Through reverse engineering these multiplier constants in the
matrix were then used to divide the experience values starting
from the last level all the way to the first.

The result is an extended XP table that relies on factual evidence
for its extension rather than on arbitrary constants. Marvelous!

This version has been extended for level 30-40 parties. It won't
conflict with the game if your experience cap hasn't been removed.
I've also included the source in Excel spreadsheet format.

 

Nice. Does it also allow for the level 40 ruleset? If not, it could be expanded harmlessly, and still be applied for level 30 games!

 

It only lists up to level 30, but since the original exp/level pattern was corrected it's no big deal to extend it downward.

Although it happily seems to ignore the pattern break at character level 16 vs. mobs at or over CR16 when the exp decay slightly accelerates.

Seems like there isn't any easy pattern for going up and down the columns (ie. the exp decay per average level gained or lost) since there's a linearly increasing multiplier component for each new row. In other words - every row has the average character level as a factor in all the numbers in that row.

 

No, I...simply didn't know . I'll see to extending it for level 30-40 parties and then uploading it. /edit: DONE!

It was not ignored, rather, corrected. The pattern break, however, happens at character level 18 against level 19 mobs. This was an oversight from Icewind Dale II's developers. If you check for that value in D&D 3rd Edition's Dungeon Master's rulebook (page 166) it'll read "8100" instead of "7200". You'll also curiously note some of the XP calculations in the rulebook have been rounded wrong

Rather there's a "stair" pattern for the last non-zero XP award you would get for a given mob level that increases by a factor of +25. It's the placeholder value I mention in the readme (I've conveniently made them bold in the Excel spreadsheet). By multiplying said value by the scalar matrix through rows you get the level 30 mob XP award, and then work your way down by dividing so you can calculate what the previous zeroes would have been.

If you want I can expand the table for level 30-40 parties so that that they would still receive experience from level 1-30 mobs, if that is what you ask.

/edit: Actually, here it is:

v1.1 Extended for level 30-40 parties.
-> Download here <-

Have fun.

 

Lookin' mighty good. The local math nerd approves.

I'm aware of the stair pattern -- you always get a linear increase into exp value by going one down, one right in the table, at least when the party's average level isn't more than 7 levels above the mobs you're fighting. Too bad it leads into rather complex maths when, for example, trying to estimate kill exp for a party at level X when you know the kill exp for a level Y party from a previous playthrough.

 

You wouldn't be the Jukka/rechet from the JUPP Guide, perchance?

Yes, it's not a simple rule of three unfortunately. Also now I get why you were begging for a vertical pattern distribution. As the factors keep multiplying each other as you go down you and thus ever increasing but each time less you probably end up with an convergent infinite series.

[Please don't link to other sites for guides that can be found on SP; thanks! And yes, he's the author of the guide. -Tal]

 

I wish I could understand what you lot are banging on about!

 

I like the approach. Although it doesn't 'always give some XP for kills', you still get a tiny amount for most low-level opponents. Only by party level 25 do you start getting 0 XP for the very lowest level ones. The table does seem quite well balanced. I'll be sure to give it a try.

 

Maybe when I'm bored I'll make a "Do-It-Yourself" Excel spreadsheet where you can, for example, multiply every value in the final table by a scalar, or make it so that every 0-value return gives you 1 point instead, so it "always gives some XP for kills".

Or maybe I'm just rambling. I'm actually finding that coming up with a vertical pattern for experience distribution is much more entertaining, at least.

 

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread but I have some questions.

#1 Why is this not sticky or mentioned in the sticky post for mods?

#2 There is download link from sorcerers.net (which still works) yet I can't find this anywhere in the IWD2 section of sorcerers.net. Why?

#3 Is there a consensus which one of the extended XP tables is the best? From my own interpretation this one seems to be the mathematically most accurate one but you basically can only find it via google.

 

My maths skills hereby declare this XP table as the overall best non-cheating XP table there is. Although finding this is much harder than necessary, just as you noted.

 

I added it to my link-list if that helps.

 

I know it might be sacrilegious to some to even think this, but has anyone tried an XP table that removes kill XP scaling altogether? No penalty for high-level parties, and no bonus for low-level ones - simply always award 100% kill XP, like the other Infinity Engine games do.

Would it makes the game boring, or have some other horrible side-effect?

 

@Ineth: no matter what you put as values, the lower levels will go slower than the higher, and the difficult early game will be even more difficult. you'll probably face mega painful first chapter, while the challenge of the late game is lost even more quickly.