There are what feels like hundreds of systems and mechanics you must be paying attention to at all times in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that it can be easy to overlook or forget about them entirely. However, most of these systems and mechanics are crucial to the game's core gameplay and will help you tremendously if you include them in your strategies and exploration.
One of these features is the Bonus EXP system, which can give you several 'free' levels whenever you stop at a camp to take a breather. Learning how to rack up loads of Bonus EXP will help you in the long run and is one of the game's most crucial mechanics for leveling up quickly and efficiently.
What Is Bonus EXP
Bonus EXP is experience you can accumulate by doing various tasks and cash in at Outdoor Rest Spots or Colony Barracks to level your party member's main rank up. If managed correctly, Bonus EXP can be one of the most crucial features in the game, as you will gain multiple 'free' levels each time you stop off at a camp or bunker. Whether you're still in the early going of the game or are several dozens of hours in, Bonus EXP will still be helpful to you and should be incorporated into how you approach the open world of Aionios.
How To Get Bonus EXP
![[From left to right] Taion, Sena, and Mio Discussing a Topic in Xenoblade Chronicles 3](https://static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Xenoblade-Chronicles-3-Topics.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
As already mentioned, there are several methods you can use to accumulate Bonus EXP, giving you many ways to store up a bunch of it for a much higher payout, allowing you to jump ahead several levels. While earning several levels will be far more common in the early game, you will be raking in lots of Bonus EXP in the later areas, so it's still a crucial aspect when doing late and post-game content. You can find every possible way you can earn Bonus EXP below!
Skirmishes
When exploring the vast world of Aionios, you will come across Skirmishes where two factions are duking it out, allowing you to intervene and give one of them a helping hand. In some cases, the reward will be Bonus EXP and Gold. The more complicated the area, the higher the Bonus EXP payout.
However, please remember that it will not always be the best option to go with the Bonus EXP. The image above is an excellent example, as you will almost always want to go with Nopon Coins over Bonus EXP, as it's a rare and valuable currency that can be a pain to come by. Furthermore, even though Skirmishes will respawn, you can only get rewards from them once, so choose wisely!
Discussing Topics
Another way to earn Bonus EXP is via the game's Investigation feature, which won't become available to you until Chapter 3. However, once this system is unlocked, you can eavesdrop on specific conversations happening in outposts you've liberated by holding in the 'ZR' input, which will reveal crucial information to you and the team.
After the conversation between the troubled NPCs is finished, you can head to an Outdoor Rest Spot or the Colony Barracks and select the 'Discuss' option from the menu. From here, you will simply choose a Topic you want to Discuss, which can reward you with Bonus EXP. Though, keep in mind that you will not always earn Bonus EXP from doing this. Actually, in most cases, you will obtain a Quest to carry out.
Discovering Locations and Landmarks
The final method to accumulate Bonus EXP is by discovering new Locations and Landmarks. There are loads of Locations and Landmarks spread across the various regions you get to visit in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. To get the most out of this feature, we recommend exploring as much as possible in a specific region before resting, as you can rack up an incredibly high amount of Bonus EXP this way. Furthermore, as you explore, you will come across Skirmishes, allowing you to double your Bonus EXP resources by simply checking out the world!
How To Spend Bonus EXP
Finally, it's time to go over how to cash in the Bonus EXP you've been saving up this whole time. To do this, rest at either an Outdoor Rest Spot or Colony Barracks and select the 'Level Up' option from the menu. In this menu, you will see your current party lineup and how much EXP is needed for them to reach the next level, and their accumulated Bonus EXP. You can rank all of them up by pressing the '+' button or can individually level up each character by hovering over and selecting them.
One thing to note is that the Bonus EXP is not a shared pool of experience, meaning every character will accumulate their own, allowing you to level everyone up in unison. This is an incredible feature as you don't have to worry about who you should or should not level up, as everyone will get the same treatment unless they're a Hero Character, such as Valdi in the images pictured above. Hero Characters will accumulate EXP alongside you, even if they are not currently not selected. This will allow you to power level them at Rest Spots if you haven't used them in a while and need their expertise to overcome a challenging encounter.