HP, XP & Death
The stakes that make productivity matter.
How XP Works
XP (Experience Points) is the primary progression currency in MainQuest. You earn XP by completing quests. The amount of XP depends on the quest's difficulty level, with harder quests rewarding more XP.
As XP accumulates, your character levels up — unlocking the sense of progression that keeps you motivated to stay productive day after day.
The Leveling Formula
The XP required to reach the next level follows a simple, predictable formula:
XP Required = 100 + (level - 1) × 10
Examples:
The formula scales linearly, so higher levels take progressively more effort but never become unreachable. At level 50, you need 590 XP to level up — about 6 days of maxed-out XP earning.
Daily XP Cap
You can earn a maximum of 100 XP per day. Once you hit the cap, completing more quests will not award additional XP until the next day.
Why a Daily Cap?
The cap prevents burnout-driven grinding. MainQuest rewards consistent daily effort over marathon sessions. Someone who earns 100 XP every day for a week will always outpace someone who tries to cram 700 XP into a single Saturday.
The daily cap resets at 3 AM, not midnight. This means late-night quest completions at 1 AM still count toward the current day's cap.
XP Modifiers (Mobile Only)
The mobile app has several modifiers that adjust how much XP you earn from quests. These are not yet available on the web app.
Clarity Buff — 1.2x XP
Writing a Dawn Scroll (morning journal entry) activates the Clarity Buff, which multiplies all XP earned by 1.2x for 4 hours. This is one of the strongest reasons to start your day with journaling.
Fatigue Penalty — 0.5x XP
When your character is ≥90% exhausted, all XP earned is halved. This mechanic discourages pushing through extreme fatigue and encourages sustainable productivity.
Age-Based Quest Bonus — 1.0–2.0x XP
Quests that have been open longer receive a multiplier between 1.0x and 2.0x. This rewards tackling tasks you have been procrastinating on — the longer a quest has been waiting, the bigger the XP bonus when you finally complete it.
Quality Rating
After completing a quest, you can rate the quality of your work. Higher quality ratings increase the XP reward. This is available on both mobile and web.
How HP Works
HP (Health Points) represents your character's vitality. It ranges from 0 to 100. Unlike XP, you do not earn HP through quests — you lose it through negative actions.
HP Damage Sources
The primary way to recover HP is by leveling up. Every level-up fully restores your HP to 100, regardless of how low it was. This creates a powerful incentive to keep completing quests — even when your HP is dangerously low, one more level-up saves you.
Death
If your HP drops to 0 or below, your character dies. Death is not cosmetic — it has real consequences:
What Happens When You Die
- All gameplay is blocked. You cannot complete quests, check in on habits, or earn XP.
- A death screen appears. You are forced to the death screen and cannot navigate away.
- You need external help to return. Only a friend's Second Chance Scroll can revive you.
Note: Death mechanics are currently mobile-only. The web app tracks your HP stat but does not enforce a death screen or block gameplay at 0 HP.
Revival: The Second Chance Scroll
When your character dies, the only way back is through a Second Chance Scroll sent by a friend. Using the scroll revives your character with 50 HP (half of the 100 HP maximum).
This mechanic serves two purposes: it creates social accountability (you need friends in the app), and it gives death real weight (you cannot just instantly respawn at full health).
Learn more about the friends system in the Friends & Revival guide.
Level-Up Recovery
Every time you level up, your HP is fully restored to 100. This is the primary healing mechanic in MainQuest and creates an important strategic consideration:
If your HP is low (say, 20 HP) and you are close to leveling up, it is better to push through and complete one more quest to trigger the level-up — fully restoring your HP — rather than playing it safe. But if you are far from leveling up, be careful with quest abandonment to avoid dying.