Reaching Level 30 on Impossible?

[Helios]

I've played through a few times, but I've never had a character reach level 30 on Impossible difficulty. On my current game, my first as a Paladin, I still don't think I'm going to make it, since I'm level 18 after finishing the Dwarf Treaty quest and I've been fighting every enemy. I have two levels of learning (very early on) and am using the mod for "The Next Generation" and Rina had the baby that gives 20% experience, and one level of Keeper of the Light. Do I need to equip the Tactics Treatise and Bloody Tape very early on, too, for that extra boost of EXP to make it to 30? Can Mages or Warriors even make it to 30 without KotL?

Or am I receiving some penalty to battle EXP since with my characters I always take leadership at level up, no matter what. Thus the mobs on Impossible only scout the groups as "Strong" or "Very Strong". But I've read the translated fan manual pages on battle EXP and it doesn't mention anything about your own army influencing EXP.

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Edit: OK, it looks like I went overboard with EXP boosting in this playthrough, as I'm already level 24 with 7 locations still left to clear before the final battle. And obviously per my question, in-game EXP will vary for each playthrough given the somewhat randomness of the encounters, but does anyone have an idea of a rough plan for reaching level 30 without wasting too many runes (and equipment slots) to reach level 30? I'm a bit of a power-gamer who doesn't want to waste my runes on future playthroughs. Would getting only 3 levels of Learning be roughly enough to reach level 30 on Impossible?

[Lex]

I am also interested in this subject. At the moment I am playing Mage on impossible. Before my 1st battle I invested one point in Learning and got Tactics Treatise - so for all my battles since first one I have +20% xp more.

I've tested development of my character in this game and on level 12 I will need to select between +1 def and +480 leadership.

a) If I select leadership at level 12 then at level 31 I should have: +2 attack, +3 def, +11 int, +9640 leadership, +48 mana, +10 rage

b) If I select defense at level 12 then at level 31 I should have: +2 attack, +4 def, +11 int, +10040 leadership, +42 mana, +10 rage

Selecting defense looks here like a better option (much more leadership and +1 defense at cost of -6 mana) but I am not so sure if I manage to get 31.

Some more detailed tables of selected bonuses in total (selected bonus on specified level is bolded)

(after selecting leadership on lvl 12)
Lvl A D .I Lead Mn Rg
25 2 2 10 6280 42 10
26 2 2 10 7320 42 10
27 2 2 10 7320 48 10
28 2 2 10 8440 48 10
29 2 2 11 8440 48 10
30 2 2 11 9640 48 10
31 2 3 11 9640 48 10

(after selecting defense in lvl 12)
Lvl A D .I Lead Mn Rg
25 1 4 09 6560 42 10
26 1 4 10 6560 42 10
27 1 4 10 7640 42 10
28 1 4 11 7640 42 10
29 1 4 11 8800 42 10
30 2 4 11 8800 42 10
31 2 4 11 10040 42 10

[Helios]

Lex,you won't reach level 31 on Impossible regardless of your EXP boosting. I've only played one game all the way through since this topic, and have been using a +30% EXP boost throughout it. I'll definitely hit 30 before Murock.

As for levelups, I did 42 different iterations across 14 games testing when would be the best time to start taking leadership every level, and it always has come at level 8, regardless of class. If I take leadership earlier or later than that, I always wind up with the same or 80% of the time, worse Atk and Int if I deviate from that plan. Perhaps there are exceptions to this, but I figured I had enough data points to be contextually certain and not experiment further. Note that in my experience at taking leadership at level 8 that Mana or Rage will be lower by a level or two than if one waited to take leadership later.

[Lex]

Originally Posted by Helios

Lex,you won't reach level 31 on Impossible regardless of your EXP boosting. I've only played one game all the way through since this topic, and have been using a +30% EXP boost throughout it. I'll definitely hit 30 before Murock.

So it is best to use 30 lvl as the end? Even when fighting everything possible on map and upgrading all items?

Originally Posted by Helios

As for levelups, I did 42 different iterations across 14 games testing when would be the best time to start taking leadership every level, and it always has come at level 8, regardless of class. If I take leadership earlier or later than that, I always wind up with the same or 80% of the time, worse Atk and Int if I deviate from that plan. Perhaps there are exceptions to this, but I figured I had enough data points to be contextually certain and not experiment further. Note that in my experience at taking leadership at level 8 that Mana or Rage will be lower by a level or two than if one waited to take leadership later.

Lvl A D I Lead Mn Rg (available choices at level up, my selection is bolded)
01 0 0 3 0120 30 10
02 0 1 3 0120 30 10 (def or lead)
03 0 1 4 0120 30 10 (int or lead)
04 0 1 4 0280 30 10 (lead or rage)
05 0 1 4 0280 36 10 (mana or rage)
06 0 1 4 0520 36 10 (lead or rage)
07 0 1 5 0520 36 10 (int or mana)
08 0 1 5 0840 36 10 (lead or mana)
09 0 1 6 0840 36 10 (int or rage)
10 0 1 6 1240 36 10 (lead or rage)
11 0 1 7 1240 36 10 (int or mana)

Before level 12 I am getting an easy choices of leadership and mana (or rage). At level 12, for the first time, I am getting a choice of attribute (+1 def) vs +480 leadership and that was the point I was wondering "what next".

[Helios]

Yes, I've tried a 30% Exp bonus from very early in the game, and even with 5% of Keeper of the Light's bonus, I still fell over 400,000 experience short of 31.

Making sure you get that level 30 leadership choice is huge. Leadership seems to be by far the most important statistic for any class. Whichever choice gives you the most end leadership is the best route to go.

[Lex]

If you say so I'll take leadership@12 lvl - that will allow me to have last +leadership bonus@30 lvl - but I will still fight anything moving plus items to check I will also save my game before 12 lvl up, for sure