experience earned for defeating a PC?

[Lord of the Nerdery]

In 4E, how does the DM determine how much XP a PC would get for defeating another fully fleshed out PC (run by the DM, or PVP)?

 

[fba827]

maybe (but just a guess off the top of my head) assign it as an elite or solo monster of the same level as the defeated PC. But without looking at charts and such, that really is just a guess.

 

[DracoSuave]

In PVP? Nothing.

As an NPC? Not really appropriate to make them, seeing as PCs, when fleshed out, don't have the longevity of elite monsters, yet are more complex and harder than normal monsters. I'd eyeball it at about 1.5, but the game doesn't really handle true PvP combat well.

 

[GoLu]

As far as I know, there is no official way to do it. The game really isn't designed for that kind of thing. Daily powers are vastly more powerful when used by an NPC that the DM doesn't expect to have survive the fight, and PCs tend to cart around far more loot than monsters of their level.

The closest you get, officially, is by using the PC class templates in the DMG to upgrade normal monsters (well... PC races from the MM) to something approximating a PC. Those are elites and thus worth twice the experience of a normal monster their level.

You could fudge it and do something similar for full-on PCs, although I haven't really spent much time considering how well PCs compare to elites in a one-fight-a-day, one-on-one match so YMMV.

 

[Lord of the Nerdery]

thanks all;

Just thinking about how to handle a character that my players may fight against, but may eventually join them (so he'd need to be PC-powered)

 

[Tale]

thanks all;

Just thinking about how to handle a character that my players may fight against, but may eventually join them (so he'd need to be PC-powered)

Use the NPC creation rules both ways. And you needn't keep the stats the same for both scenarios.

 

[DracoSuave]

Nor does an NPC have to be PC powered... in fact if he isn't the party will rely less on him and more on themselves.

Believe me, it's best that way.

 

[the Jester]

Just thinking about how to handle a character that my players may fight against, but may eventually join them (so he'd need to be PC-powered)

Unless a player is going to take him over, I wouldn't bother making him pc-style. There really isn't a need, and you really don't want him to steal the spotlight from your players.

 

[fba827]

Unless a player is going to take him over, I wouldn't bother making him pc-style. There really isn't a need, and you really don't want him to steal the spotlight from your players.

Agreed.
Even the fully active NPCs that fight with my PCs are still only written up as NPCs. They are still just as helpful but 1) don't overshadow the PCs and 2) are more streamlined than PCs (making it easier for me, the DM)

 

[MrMyth]

To join the chorus: Use the NPC rules (pages 187-188 of the DMG). This will make for both an effective opponent to fight, as well as a useful ally for the DM to run alongside the PCs. If a player actually takes the character over, then go ahead and stat them out as a PC for that.