Levels and experience

The level cap is 100. Monsters have the level of the area they live in, and everything that drops there uses that same level.

Reaching the first map. Most characters finish the campaign at about level 66 to 68. Maps then carry you from 68 to 100. The final levels are slow by design.

What a level gives

1 passive point per level from level 2 (Passive points and respec).
Access to more spells, items and flask slots (Learning spells, The flask belt).
More life and mana.

The level-gap penalty. If a monster's area level is far above or below yours, you earn less experience. The gap allowed grows with your level. This applies even when you play solo, so farming trivial monsters or leeching high ones is not worth it.

Spell experience is separate. Each spell gains its own experience as you use it (Spell ranks).

Dying. Costs 10% of the experience of the current level, never a level (The death rule).

Party experience. Shared in a party with level weighting (Party experience and loot).

Rates. The game is balanced around standard 1x experience. If you see faster rates during testing, that is temporary.