Experience Points

Experience points (also exp, rep, or XP) are the primary reward for undertaking adventures in Borderlands. Every character starts with 0 experience points and at level 1. Completing missions and killing hostile creatures results in experience points awarded to all of the characters present in the group. Completing achievements or challenges will also increase exp.

Experience points can be gained during the course of the game, and can only be lost by exiting the game without saving. Should an unsaved exit occur, the experience total will be reverted back to the most recent game save.

Levels
''*The amount of points needed for a specific level can be calculated using the formula: f(x)=60*(x^2.8-1), with x denoting the level and rounding to the next integer (e. g. 3788.1 becomes 3789). This formula is correct for all levels except level 45. For this level the deviation between the formula and the given experience points is 59.''

Once the experience is gained your character will increase his/her level upon reaching a certain threshold. The maximum level cap for all characters is currently 61, unlocked after installing The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Players without it are limited to level 50. You can level up over 50 in any area of the game at the moment you have installed the DLC The Secret Armory of General Knoxx.

As each level is gained, a graphic text pop up will overlay the screen with the words "Level Up". At this point health and shield capacity become fully charged at their new level and the character's action skill is also recharged.

For each level gained your character will receive 15 extra health points added to the 100 base, which means the health calculation is: 100+(level-1)*15. Other characteristics like melee damage or resistance also increase at higher levels. Also, every level acquired rewards your character with 1 skill point starting from level 5, meaning a total of 46 skill points at level 50, 54 at level 58, and 65 at level 69. You can also acquire one free skill point in each of the two playthroughs from Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot and Claptrap's New Robot Revolution, meaning you can have a total of 69 Skill Points to spend.

The level cap for all characters was increased by 8 with the release of patch 1.4.1. The former level cap was 50, or 61 for those who installed The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. This makes a total of 69 skill points to earn, though the four gained from DLC's 2 and 4 will still require those add-ons (as they are mission rewards).