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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 2272734" data-attributes="member: 16077">Why should a party that "bare-bones it" only get *the same* xp as a party that has extra help?  If I throw a vanilla party of 6th level iconics (Ftr, Clr, Wiz, Rog) against an appropriate encounter, they will, in most cases, have a tougher time than a party of 6th level composed of a four PCs, one of which is the following:  any PC w/ Leadership (and the 4th level Cohort that comes with the feat) , a Druid or Ranger w/ an animal companion, a Wizard with an Improved Familiar, or a Paladin with a mount.The vanilla party of 6th level PCs has an effective party level of 6.For argument's sake, lets say that the Ftr, Rog and Cleric each have a 4th lvl cohort and the Wizard has a Pseudodragon for an Improved Familiar...  *This* party has an effective party level of 7.  When you start adding up cohorts, improved familiars or special animal companions, and special mounts, the party size effectively can double or triple, and that CR 6 encounter for a party of 4 6th level characters becomes much easier.Contrary to what you think is the case, this doesn't *penalize* players who artificially increase the size and capabilities of their party, it *rewards* players who do more with less in the form of a bare-bones party.Now as to your arguments that it is unfair to players that take druid, paladin, wizard, sorcerer, or hexblade - 1st - The same system of awarding xp is applied equally to all PCs, regardless of class.  Why would it be unfair to a Paladin that gets all those special abilities (lay hands, Divine grace and Divine health, Aura of Courage, Smite Evil, Turn Undead, spellcasting, special mounts, etc. etc. etc.) but *not* be unfair to a Fighter that doesn't have all of those special abilities?2nd - Regardless of #1, who said life was fair?3rd - The players shouldn't know exactly the xp they should get for an encounter - if you think that a DM is supposed to spoon-feed xp and treasure and allow the PCs to be omnipotent and omniscient, then you are missing the point of the role of the DM.</blockquote>

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