Max XP Guide for Act 1 (Reach Level 10 Before Act 2)

Max experience guide for first act of the game that includes Gift Bags and Four Relics of Rivellon questlines.

This guide is mostly aimed for Solo Tactician/Honour run, but it could help your Classic or Explorer party run if you got lost or don't know what to do. I listed which NPC's give xp when they are killed or persuaded and compared which one gives more xp. You can use Ctrl + f to search their names or search persuasion to see which NPC's give xp when they are persuaded.
Even if you miss couple of things you can still reach level 10 if you follow this guide, this was written for a Solo Honour run in mind so you can change order of things according to your playstyle. If you have questions about this guide ask me in the comments.

SPOILER WARNING ! Rest of the guide includes spoilers for Act 1

The Merryweather

Make all magisters hostile and let Windego kill them : 975 xp
Story event: 400 xp
Kill Magister Siwan : 100 xp
Kill Source Hound : 25 xp
Kill Magister Murtof and Magister Ricks : 200 xp
Go to top deck as an undead : 100 xp
Kill Viscous Voidlings : 200 xp
> Level 2
Kill Captain Kalwyn and Magister Knight : 200 xp
Void Hatchlings : 300 xp
Story event : 800 xp
> 3.300 xp

Fort Joy - Beach

Kill Viscous Voidlings : 200 xp
Kill Freshly Buried Corpse : 100 xp
Enter Hidden Alcove : 300 xp
Talk to Coral with Mystic, Scholar or Jester tag : 100 xp
Kill Unnis : 425 xp
Kill Elf Herbalist ( Herb Gardens Gift Bag ) : 425 xp
Kill Void-Touched Turtles : 700 xp
> 5.550 xp

Fort Joy Ghetto

(Sneak into Fort joy without triggering Atusa event)
Kill Ralvo, Slug and Battletop : 750 xp
Stand beside the elf and tell the thug to back off : 900 xp
Kill Elodi : 550 xp
Kill Kana and Buro : 500 xp
> Level 3
Enter Fort Joy - Dungeons : 600 xp
Discover Arena of Fort Joy : 300 xp
Enter Underground Tunnel : 500 xp
Give alcohol to Doctor Leste and Heal Dain : 750 xp
Enter Forgotten Cell : 725 xp
Free Withermoore : 1.200 xp
Get Drudane from Stingtail : 250 xp
Give Drudane to Griff : 1.450 xp
Free Amyro : 850 xp
Go back to Stingtail and kill Silence 1.000 xp
Talk to Stingtail after you save him : 600 xp
Kill Narin : 600 xp
Kill Margo : 125 xp
Kill : Saam & Baladir : 500 xp
Kill Septa the Ineffable : 200 xp
Discover Saltwater Crocodiles : 300 xp
Kill Saltwater Crocodiles : 375 xp
Tell Gawin you have the teleporter : 600 xp
Kill Waltz : 500 xp
Kill Patrolman Kraus : 800 xp
> Level 4
Kill Source Hound Gracie : 200 xp
Go back to the beach and find Viper's Tongue : 600 xp
Teleport Gawin : 1.200 xp
Kill Gawin : 200 xp
Make Dallis retreat and kill hostile units (you can use a deathfog barrel) : 9.800 xp
Kill Black Cat with deathfog : 75 xp
Kill Vissar : 500 xp
Kill Myra : 250 xp
Enter frogs cavern : 375 xp
Kill Amphibians : 1.800 xp
Discover Mody's Fort : 300 xp
Talk to Rulah : 600 xp
The Murderous Gheist : 600 xp
Kill Migo and Magister Yarrow : 1.800 xp
Kill Kalias : 500 xp
Kill Doctor Leste : 250 xp
Kill Stingtail : 500 xp
> Level 5
Kill Griff's gang except Butter : 2.225 xp
Kill Butter : 500 xp
Arena of Fort Joy : 1.625 xp
Kill Arena Audience : 3400 xp
Discover Orivand's Chamber : 800 xp
Pick up and read Dwarven customs & Traditions : 50 xp
Kill Magister Holind, Magister Alise, Source Hound Hicka : 1.800 xp
> 50.425 xp

Fort Joy - Dungeons

Find Simple Pendant : 600 xp
Kill Verdas : 75 xp
Magister Houndmaster Fight : 2.475 xp
Save Delorus for Act 3
Discover Ancient Passage : 800 xp
Kill Undead Guardians : 2.000 xp
Bring Withermoore's Soul Jar to him and decide to keep it : 3.000 xp
Kill Fire Slugs : 3.600 xp
Kill 7 Silent Monks : 1.400 xp
Kill Magister Goa and Magister Carin : 1.600 xp
Kill everyone in Kniles the Flenser's room : 4.600 xp
> Level 6
Finding Emmie 2.200 xp
Kill Source Hounds : 500 xp
Discover Houndmaster's room : 800 xp
Free Birdie ( Pet Pal ) : 1.000 xp
Talk to Birdie with persuasion : 1.400 xp
(Return to Fort Joy Ghetto)
High Judge Orivand Fight : 5.000 xp
Save Paladin Cork and Kill Magister Trippel : 6.800 xp
Magister Dayya and subordinates : 5.000 xp
Leave Fort Joy : 14.400 xp
> 107.675 xp

Hollow Marshes

Kill Source Hound Thulnir : 200 xp
Kill Windego : 900 xp
Find Tracks of the Tyrant : 1.500 xp
Decomposing Undeads 1st wave : 800 xp
Decomposing Undeads 2nd wave : 800 xp
Find Odd Skeletal Arm : 25 xp
Viscous Voidlings Ambush : 13.000 xp
> Level 7
Discover Sanctuary of Amadia : 1.500 xp
Heal the Wounded : 4.500 xp
Kill Void Salamanders : 1.700 xp
Discover Vault of Braccus Rex : 2.525 xp
Trompdoy Fight 1 : 3.600 xp
Answer Statue of Illusion's riddle : 2.950 xp
Trompdoy Fight 2 : 10.575 xp
Destroy Trompdoy's soul jar : 4.200 xp
The Gargoyle's Maze : 4.200 xp
Kill Incandescent undeads : 1.275 xp
Kill the Historian : 425 xp
Kill Necromancer Tamsyn, Gwick, Rask : 3.375 xp
Destroy their soul jars : 4.200 xp
> Level 8
Kill Zombie : 725 xp
Find The Devourer's Claws : 25 xp
Find Hands of the Tyrant : 2.950 xp
Kill Magisters and Save Gareth :13.100 xp
Kill Magister Sang : 1.700 xp
Open Armory of Braccus Rex : 300 xp
Enter Armory of Braccus Rex : 2.100 xp
Find Corrupted Tyrant's Helm : 900 xp
Kill Tarlene : 1.200 xp
Voidwoken Deep-Dweller Fight : 6.350 xp
Bless The Burning Pigs : 3.000 xp
Kill the pigs : 200 xp each and as long as you let one live, Feder will be available (800 or 1.000 xp)
Use persuasion on Scapor : 3.000 xp
Help Magister Loke fight the Undead : 2125 xp
Kill Magister Loke : 1.700 xp
Kill Bear Cub : 425 xp
Tell Gareth you have a weapon that could destroy the Shriekers : 5.600 xp
Kill Leya : 2250 xp
> 218.175 xp (+200 if you kill all the pigs but it's not recommended)

Abandoned Camp

Kill Magister Ames : 2.250 xp
Either give Gratiana her soul jar or break it : 4.200 xp
Discover Radeka's cave : 2.100 xp
Radeka the Witch Fight : 4.675 xp
Offer Radeka's Purging Wand to Slane : 2.100 xp
Kill Slane the Winter Dragon : 6.000 xp
Kill Krylr the Kettlegrinder : 1.700 xp
> Level 9
Kill Ymmit : 2.250 xp
Kill Klaud : 1.500 xp
Kill Jules : 1.200 xp
Kill Deidara of the Four Sisters (Sourcerous Sundries Gift Bag) : 425 xp
Kill Duggan : 2.250 xp
Kill Matis : 2.250 xp
Kill Simone : 2.250 xp
Kill Kerban : 2.250 xp
Kill Samadel 2.250 xp
Alexander and Voidwoken Drillworm Fight : 25.325 xp
Kill Nebora : 125 xp
Kill Zaleskar : 2.900 xp
> 286.175 xp

Four Relics Objectives

(other objectives are already listed)
Speak with Voice of Flames in Orivand's Chamber : 25 xp
Help Daeyena fight Magisters : 100 xp
Eat contaminated magister's Foot as Elf : 25 xp
Find Cursed Chest : 25 xp
Persuade Sech Zapor to give you his chest armor for the soul jar : 50 xp
Find Captain's Dexterous Heels : 25 xp
Find Captain's Hideout : 50 xp
Find Captain's Jaunty Hat : 25
+325 xp

The Lady Vengeance

Board the boat : 10.800 xp
Kill Maeve : 2.900 xp
Kill Exter : 2.250 xp
Kill Dallis' Assistants : 1.450 xp
Kill Magister Ranley : 2.250 xp
Enter Dallis' Stateroom : 3.600 xp
Kill Skeletal cat : 200 xp
Discover Secret Room 3.600 xp

Lady Vengeance Fight : 12.300 xp
Story event : 18.000 xp
> Level 10
Story event : 18.000 xp
> 361.850 xp

[fatethecreator52896]

Why not kill the shop keepers in fort joy example would be nebora before or after she removes the collar?

[Jo]

Excelent guide, thanks a lot for posting it!

You can get even more XP in Fort Joy Ghetto if you're not playing solo:
When talking to Dr Leste at south beach, give her alcohol to cure Dain (250 XP), then heal Dain with every party member using Migos Ring (250 XP each). You get another 250 XP for completing the quest, resulting in a total XP gain of 1.500 XP if you have a party of four.

[OldMemes.biz]

THE FINAL TELEPORTER ONLY APPEARS IF YOU DOUSE AND BLESS THE HISTORIAN, AND THAT FINAL TELEPORTER HAS LOOT BETTER THAN A PALTRY 425XP

[DezZzO]

@OldMemes.biz historian does give experience [i.imgur.com], letting him go doesn't give you any loot, don't spread misinformation please.
And you can aggro and kill Magisters before Kraken cutscene plays, as others pointed out.

[Captain J. Roger]

what is meant by make the magisters hostile at the beginning? attack them?

[Ash]

@OldMemes.biz
That is not the case. Indeed, you cannot initiate fight with the first magister you see after ascending to the top deck if you are not Undead. But it is completely possible to aggro Captain and second Magister. There are several boxes and a barrel on the staircase leading to the helm. Save. Carefully approach (don't walk past the grate thing) and attack box with a bow or spell ( if you're having troubles hiting box there's a Fireball scroll nearby). Magisters will address you about property damage. Choose to attack them. That will start combat so you can kill them and get the XP.

[OldMemes.biz]

@Ennello No you can not. The game doesn't allow you ANY control before the Kraken scripted attack.

The ONLY thing that works is unmasked Undead.

[Ennello]

@OldMemes.biz you can actually aggro both magisters on the top deck before you trigger the Kraken attack with e.g. firebombs. You'll get exp when the Kraken kills them.

[OldMemes.biz]

And furthermore, the Historian gives NO EXP at all. Killing him screws you out of goodies as well.

[OldMemes.biz]

Buwa, on the top deck of the Merryweather, it is NOT POSSIBLE to kill the Magister Knights nor the Captain. All 3 are killed by scripted Kraken attacks before you are even allowed to aggro them.

This means that if you are NOT Undead, and after killing the first two voidlings, you will be at 1900/2000 and not level 2 yet. If you ARE undead, then you will be EXACTLY at 2.