Was asked to post this bug on the forum by the GM who helped me, this seems like the best fitting folder. The exp freeze that happens while you wait for skill confirm blocked me from absorbing experience correctly, however, while trying to decide my planned skill/stat setup, I logged out for the evening. When I logged back in, I had absorbed my head and leveled to 20. I still had the exp block, but I could no longer adjust my stats or skills. We ended up fixing by my confirming my skills, then the GM giving me a fix stat/skill to adjust everything. I would expect most alternate systems of exp will likely have the same thing (maybe bountys, mind clear boosts, etc.)