CR 9 vs CR 18 ... EP?

[Eolin]

So, hi everybody. I've got a question. Its probably really easy.

In our last game our 2 11th level PCs (CR 9, right?) fought against hugely overhwelming odds. One of us perished. We can still spread the EP amongst both of us, correct?

But lastly, is how much EP. We were given quite a bit, but i'm not sure if its right -- and don't have a DMG around here. I want to find out if it was correct, mostly from curiosity.

So they were 4 CR 14 creatures, making them CR 18. That's right, 9 above our CR. My notes say we got 21k, the game master says it was 39, and judging from how many I've got and how many i must have had then, it was between 23000 and 34000. So guys, do i owe myself 5000 EP, or should we have gotten less/more/what?

 

[LazarusLong42]

In our last game our 2 11th level PCs (CR 9, right?) fought against hugely overhwelming odds. One of us perished. We can still spread the EP amongst both of us, correct?

By the RAW, no; only creatures can earn XP. A dead PC is no longer a creature, it is an object.

So they were 4 CR 14 creatures, making them CR 18. That's right, 9 above our CR. My notes say we got 21k, the game master says it was 39, and judging from how many I've got and how many i must have had then, it was between 23000 and 34000. So guys, do i owe myself 5000 EP, or should we have gotten less/more/what?

I calculate 37000. I may be slightly off.

 

[Impeesa]

Encounter Levels say you were quite outmatched, yes. When it comes time to calculate experience, though, you don't combine things like that (unless I'm severely misreading something). Average party level is 11th, which earns 9900 xp for a CR 14 encounter. That's 39600 XP total. However, if your teammate did in fact receive xp for the encounter (and as long as they contributed through most of it, I'd say they should), then it should be divided in half for 19800 xp each.

--Impeesa--

 

[reiella]

Errr. wrong, Dead player characters are still supposed to earn experience.

If a character takes part in an encounter, even if she is incapacitated or dies during the encounter, that character gets a share of the experience points."

Further, the average party level (or specific character level as FR) is what is used for determining experience, not the EL of the party.

Also, they are still four CR 14 creatures, and reward experience as four CR 14 creatures, not as a CR 18 creature (it is EL 18, not CR 18). "Swarms" (see errm, Fiend Folio I think?) can be used to create a creature of greater CR from lesser CR critters however, but those are typically in the 20+ count range.

[ 3.0 XP tables, 3.5 may be different me dunno ]
A CR 14 creature provides an 11th level party with 9,900 xp.
That brings the total experience award to 39,600.
Split two ways, so a total of 19,800 xp.

 

[Dirigible]

By the RAW, no; only creatures can earn XP. A dead PC is no longer a creature, it is an object.

I'm gonna put that on my PC's headstone...

 

[FireLance]

First off, I'm not sure where you got the idea that two 11th level PCs are CR 9.
(a) CR is a measure of the challenge a particular creature would pose to an average party of four PCs. CR is not a measure of PC power.
(b) In any case, CR only measures the challenge of a single creature (or trap, or other challenge). The measure of the challenge of a group of creatures is Encounter Level (EL).
(c) More creatures increase the EL, not decrease it. For example, an 11th-level NPC with no levels in NPC classes and properly equipped for his level is CR 11. Two such NPCs are EL 13.

Second, when assigning XP, the standard approach is to compare CR with PC level, not EL with the CR or EL of the party (which is meaningless in the first place, as mentioned above). Add up the amount of XP earned by each PC for each challenge defeated, and divide by the number of PCs (including PCs who died). This is regardless of whether the PCs are the same level.

An 11th-level PC who defeats a CR 14 creature earns 9,900 xp. If he defeats four CR 14 creatures, he earns 39,600 xp. If he was in a party of 2 PCs, he earns 19,800 xp.

A 12th-level PC who defeats a CR 14 creature earns 7,200 xp. If he defeats four CR 14 creatures, he earns 28,800 xp. If he was in a party of 2 PCs, he earns 14,400 xp.

If an 11th-level PC and a 12th-level PC defeat four CR 14 creatures, the 11th-level PC earns 19,800 xp and the 12th-level PC earns 14,400 xp.

I believe the standard rule is that PCs who die also get their full share of xp, provided they are raised, reincarnated or resurrected. Even if they are not, the other party members do not get additional xp. Xp is not like gold - you don't get a larger share if there are less people around.

 

[RangerWickett]

What is the RAW?

 

[reiella]

What is the RAW?

Rules-As-Written

As opposed to various intepretations that typically aren't supported by the Rules as Written (such as the Rules of the Game articles and a number of Sage Advice articles).

 

[Tatsukun]

If an 11th-level PC and a 12th-level PC defeat four CR 14 creatures, the 11th-level PC earns 19,800 xp and the 12th-level PC earns 14,400 xp.

I may be wrong about this, since I don't use the system in the book directly anyway. But...

I don't think the lower level guy gets more Exp. They just drop the average party level. If three 10th level PCs and a 2nd level PC go out adventuring the average party level is 8. (10+10+10+2=32, 32 / 4 = 8)

If this party goes out and kills a CR 8 monster the party earns 2,400 Exp. There are 4 of them, so each get 600 Exp. Note that this will help the 2nd level guy get to his next level a lot more than it will help the 10th level guys, which accounts for the extra risk the second level guy is taking.

If everyone got the amount of Exp they would get if a party of their level killed the monster (in the above example, the Level 2 PC would get 1,350 Exp) it would lead to parties hiring a high level guy to kill monsters while they watch and gain Exp very rapidly.

By your reading of the rules, a rich merchant could hire a famous bounty hunter (15th level ranger) to take him hunting. The party (one 15th level PC and a 1st level PC) could defeat 3 CR 10 monsters without much trouble in a day.

A level one party fighting a CR 10 monster = 10,800 Exp. There are two people so the merchant gets 5,400Exp.per encounter

5,400 times 3 encounters = 16,200 Exp. *

At the end of the day, the merchant would be 6th level. Not bad for a day’s work!

* - If you assume the merchant levels after each fight during the day, the third fight gives him less Exp. He only ends up with a total of 15,300 Exp (still 6th level)

 

[MichaelH]

Firelance's reading of the XP rules is correct. This was one of the changes made in the 3.5 version. The scenario of lower level characters hiring higher level characters should not happen in a normal game. However, if it did happen, they cannot just stand back and let the higher level guy do all the work and take all the risks and still get XP. They must participate. And if they do, they would likely be killed.