Figureing XP for an odd encounter

[Crothian]

Last night we had an encounter between the PCs and a small army. The Pcs are 3 4th level character and a piar of third level character.

The armty consisted of about 90 orcs and 12 worgs. The PCs killed 30 orcs and 5 worgs. THe problem though is that the PCs tactics killed more then the PCs did, allow me to explain. The PCs are in a dwarven outpost. THere is a 150ft deep pit with a small slick 5ft stone bridge across it. The pit is 30feet long. At least half of the orcs that died fell into the pit. The PC warmage stuck a flaming sphere in the middle of the bridge so between that and the balance checks many orcs died.

So, how would you go about rewarding XP for this encounter?

 

[Thanee]

Ad hoc. Give them like 1,000 or 2,000 XP each.

Or just calculate them as normal and see what comes out of that. Then divide it by 2 maybe.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Arnwyn]

I'd give the PCs full XP for the 30 orcs and 5 worgs.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

Yeah, you most assuredly can't award full XP for the PCs using sound tactical advatage.

If you encourage that kind of thing, then you might end up with players always acting intelligently.

 

[Thanee]

Yeah, you most assuredly can't award full XP for the PCs using sound tactical advatage.

If you encourage that kind of thing, then you might end up with players always acting intelligently.

But that is not the point of the question... the point is, that the PCs were most probably not meant to fight them, yet they were placed in a situation, which allowed them to do so, even thought the odds were simply undoable.

This should be reflected in their award, since the situation played such a big role here.

The DMG also talks about such things, that sometimes the normal XP awards do not work out well.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Goolpsy]

But that is not the point of the question... the point is, that the PCs were most probably not meant to fight them, yet they were placed in a situation, which allowed them to do so, even thought the odds were simply undoable.

This should be reflected in their award, since the situation played such a big role here.

The DMG also talks about such things, that sometimes the normal XP awards do not work out well.

Bye
Thanee

Very intelligent words.

I do not care much about the experience points given to the players, as i come up with adventures along the road. So I would have given them experience for everything that died during/because of what the pc's did (probably not any mad orcs slaughtering eachother, but you get my point)

As Thanee more or less said, give them what you think. If you have long planned adventures and maybe done abit calculating about xp, figuring out level at certain point of your campaign, just stick to the main plan, should they get upset by the low number of xp awarded, tell them to go get what they feel the need for in weapons in the buttom of that Pitt (or whatever).
I would however suggest to encourage smart players...

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

Sorry, but refusing to give XP due to Intelligence being displayed (when it's in character, not meta-gaming for correct decisions) is a huge annoyance of mine.

Although, admittedly, it's mostly just overcompensation from a DM I used to have who used the Seyan model for XP. (Killed off 50 peons one level lower than you by using some tactics, but no one got hurt --> didn't learn anything. Almost killed by a pack of feral house cats --> must have been a great learning experience so you ding.)

 

[Goolpsy]

These guys (characters) did learn alot, they set up a 'trap' and watched their succes. Be astonnished by the way they handled it, and Award creative play.

 

[Thanee]

Sorry, but refusing to give XP due to Intelligence being displayed (when it's in character, not meta-gaming for correct decisions) is a huge annoyance of mine.

Of course, but noone said, that they would not get rewarded for it.
Just, that they might not get the full XP for 30 orcs and 5 worgs.

Bye
Thanee

 

[ThirdWizard]

The EL was highly in the PCs favor, and I would represent that through the xp award, definately. They had fortifications and the enemy had to move over a fairly narrow bridge to get to them. I'd probably make it at -50% xp.