Experience-Points:

Experience-points are awarded at the end of each battle. When you have earned a certain amount of Experience-points, you will advance a level. Each time you advance a level, you will gain Life-points based on your race type (the life-points each race type receives each level is sometimesmay different).

Experience-points to level:
The level you will be advancing to x10 will be the experience-points you will need to advance to the next level. If you are level 7, you will need 80 Experience-points to advance to level 8 (8 x 10 = 80).
You will always divide the Experience-points you gain with any pets and the steed which journey out into the Wilderlands with you. After dividing experience evenly with your pets and steed, save any remaining Experience-points until you gain more.

Important note:
If any one player, steed, or pet cannot be struck or damaged by the attacks of an encountered creature, no experience will be awarded to ANY in the company when the battle is over (treasure will be rolled for as normal).

Death vs. Experience-points:
If your character is dies, all experience-points collected for that level will be gone (you will have 0 experience-points). If you retreat from an enemy, the experience-points you would have gotten for defeating one of the creatures will be lost. If you are defeated while you have no expience-points, you will lose your level (you will only have 50% of the experience-points (rounded down) you need to regain your lost level). If you are slain at first level, and you have no experience-points, your character cannot be brought back to life.