Experience Points

Experience points are used in all three games in the Mother series, used to level up a character when they gain the specific amount required to do so.

When certain characters like Ness gain enough Experience points, they can level up and learn PSI like PSI Rockin or Lifeup. However, in Mother 3, techniques are not learned immediately after level-up, although the character needs to be at least a certain level to learn each one. Some PSI are not recognized by leveling up, such as PSI Starstorm α and Ω being taught by the Star Master or Ionia.

Gaining experience points

Experience points are usually gained by defeating enemies; as a general rule, stronger enemies give greater experience. There are exceptions to this, however:

• In EarthBound Beginnings, Ninten gets more experience when he lets the Magicant enemy Groucho flee. The game text even said that this is strange. If a Flying Man is in the party, he gets the experience instead. This does nothing, as the Flying Men cannot level up.
• In EarthBound, when Ness is about to leave Magicant, he gains an extra 200,000 experience points. This is the most experience that any one character can receive at once, therefore likely making Ness significantly stronger than the friends he travels with.
• In Mother 3, Salsa can gain experience by giving Dung he finds to the Dung Beetle Wan Sum Dung in Death Desert; he gives 5 experience points for normal dung, 10 points for rare, exquisitely-aged dung, and 50 for Legendary Dung.
• In Mother 3, when fighting the Mystery Metal Monkey in Argilla Pass, instead of awarding actual experience for defeating the creature, the game simply states "It was a good experience."