Training to gain levels ~ do you enforce/use it?

[Treebore]

Stopped using that shortly after starting character debt for training... just too much book keeping.. I make them train.. when the roll play and the time is right, sometimes for years (of game time).

Years!!!

Sure. Like Jyrdan above talked about a PC wanting to be a proficient [ocean] sailor. That takes years of training and experience to achieve.

Hmm, perhaps he/they might wish to equate years with training level, ergo - how many years for advancing level 1 to 2. How many for 5 to 7.

Then, I might or might not be shocked!

Yeah, it doesn't take years to learn to be a competent Sailor. A few months, yes, if it took years most Sailors would die from their incompetence.

[Captain_K]

The group 3rd level thief is snatched up too the roof of a building via a long noose/lasso while the party walks down the street.. after a day long chase to rescue their team mate.. they find out.. he's joined the local guild of roof top thieves... he spends less and less time with the team and more and more time with his guild... the whole city adventure is largely without their thief (the thief's player is now the CK for this city adventure).. but after spending the whole winter and into the summer in the city.. they are again off for an adventure overseas... the thief announces.. "what do you mean leave without me, I'm with you..." The thief has some cool new toys, new tattoos, and is now 5th level... (just like the rest of the group who are 4th having raised during the city adventure).. this is what I mean, training just like in life tends to come in spurts or big blocks of intense training.

Think of the black knight on the bridge.... I had a high level fighter basically do this.. except the part of being cut to pieces, he single handedly took down the whole party and the fighters in the group fell to their knees and said "Train us!" Thus Blackie became the group mentor and introduced the rest of the team to the "high level" NPCs of London.