Experience Question

[Deadguy]

Modifying the Reward

SolidSnake notwithstanding , the DMG does suggest modifying the standard award to account for the difficulty of the encounter. Whilst the specific circumstances of this encounter might leave you feeling that you'd rather not reward the PCs for their stupidity, it's worth remembering that Easy encounters may be worth only half the normal reward, whilst truly difficult ones can eran up to twice as much (DMG p167). If you deliberately set up an encounter to overwhelm the PCs, even using creatures of the appropriate CR, it might well be worth awarding them more if they survive the encounter.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

By CRGreathouse:

For the record, these creatures are over EL 9 (check the gnoll calculation).

Here's how I calculate normally using the doubling formula.

Original CR = 1
#critters = EL
1 = 1
2 = 3
4 = 5
8 = 6
16 = 7

I've found that after about 4-6 critters, adding more of them doesn't really affect the number that a character will have on him, just how long they keep coming. From that, I decided that each doubling after the 2nd only increases the EL by 1 instead of 2. I guess I should have made that clear earlier.

About assigning XP based on EL instead of CR, I can see both sides of the argument. On one side, the fight actually was harder, but on the other, there wasn't really anything to learn from all the little guys you just hacked apart.

I usually asign 1/2 XP for killing stuff and then use EL instead of individual CR's, but hey that's jsut the way I do it, and has little to no bearing on the actual rules.

 

[Christian]

I'm sorry, but the DMG is quite clear on this, and frankly, I agree with it. DMG p. 167, third bullet point near the top of the second column: "Bad rolls or poor choices on the PC's part should not modify EL's or XP. If the encounter is hard because the players were unlucky or careless, they don't get more experience."

Otherwise, Hypersmurf's paladin has a point. "Hey, it will be a little tougher to beat them all at once in a straight-up fight. But we'll get a lot more experience by doing it the stupid way!" Not in my game, thank you very much.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Otherwise, Hypersmurf's paladin has a point. "Hey, it will be a little tougher to beat them all at once in a straight-up fight. But we'll get a lot more experience by doing it the stupid way!" Not in my game, thank you very much.

Heh. He wasn't after more experience. He just couldn't be bothered walking around bent over double in kobold warrens trying to ferret them out two or three at a time. If they were thoughtful enough to provide a doorbell, he saw no reason no to take advantage of it and save the strain on his back...

-Hyp.