Figureing XP for an odd encounter

[ThirdWizard]

Except we run into that little "PCs getting PENALIZED for intelligence" thing. My inclinations run to the opposite.

Of course, I wouldn't really give full xp either way. However you think about it, the PCs made use of a significant terrain advantage which kept the orcs/worgs from fighting to the best of their abilities.

It's fair if they're attacked by a horde of orcs while they happen to be in a greatly fortified structure...

Now, if they knew they were going to be attacked and moved to a highly fortified structure...

 

[Greylock]

All this confuses me.

In one game I'm in we, the party, ran into a situation where we had to get past, defeat, otherwise take out a cave complex of hobgoblins, their chieftains and an Ogre. They were keeping tabs on us and knew we were coming. If we'd met them head on, we'd have been toast (low-level game), as we'd already found out on our first encounter.

So, we set up a situation, an ambush. We "acquired" their signal horn, found a suitable set of hills, placed our ranged guys in trees, placed our fighter/thug in the open ground, but hidden, and had our ranger tooting away on the horn, placed to the rear but ready to mop up.

In time, we managed to slaughter the hobgoblin tribe. At pretty damned significant loss to the party (we mourned our Fighters early death.)

So, we changed an encounter that we knew was hard, to one with significant advantage, even though we suffered grievously.

Half XP for the encounter because of the favorable set-up?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Half XP for the encounter because of the favorable set-up?

No, because you set up the ambush, not the DM.

It's the difference between tricking the ogre to fall in the pit, and the pit being placed between you and the ogre by the DM. Or the difference between finding a sleeping orc and waiting for him to go to sleep. Or tricking a bugbear into an iron maiden and the bugbear being chained inside an iron maiden when you find him.

 

[Greylock]

Thanks. That helps me understand this thread better.

 

[S'mon]

ThirdWizard is right of course.

Basically, in this encounter the non-killed orcs are still a threat, so no XP for 'beating' them. The dead orcs & worgs garner XP; the inherent terrain advantage indicates I'd say indicates 1/2 XP as appropriate, or 750/PC. Note that a 3rd-4th party vs War-1 orcs in a confined battle front have a huge advantage. Personally I might then increase XP to 1000 (2/3) to reflect good PC tactics & use of terrain.

 

[glass]

My answer would be:

Assuming the army was in some way an impediment to their objective, and the PCs were able to complete that objective, the they overcame that challenge. Therefore, IMO the PCs should get XP for the full army, but reduced for circumstances:

As several people have said, XP should be reduced because of the fortified position. By how much, depends on just how good the position was for the PCs.

XP should also be reduced because holding off then evading the army (and mapping some tunnels) was easier than getting past the army or wiping them out. Maybe about 20% for this, again depending on the exact setup.


glass.

 

[glass]

Basically, in this encounter the non-killed orcs are still a threat, so no XP for 'beating' them.

So, you never have recurring villains in your campaigns?


glass.

 

[glass]

It's fair if they're attacked by a horde of orcs while they happen to be in a greatly fortified structure...

Now, if they knew they were going to be attacked and moved to a highly fortified structure...

IMO, in either case there would be a reduction, but 'in a fortified structure' would be a significantly bigger reduction the 'near a fortified structure that the PCs can move to if they think about it'.


glass.

 

[S'mon]

So, you never have recurring villains in your campaigns?

Sure I do, and if the PCs defeat them/drive them off without killing them the PCs will get XP - probably 1/2 what they'd get for killing/final victory, if the villain is still a threat; maybe less if it's only a temporary stall. In the facts given for this encounter (PCs retreated) I don't see how the entire orc army was defeated.

 

[moritheil]

I think the instinct is kill the people, not shy away from a few victims. And it is n't like hoards were dieing on the bridge, many made it it across and died there but the situtaion of the players was slowly geting worse. THe Archers on the other side had cover so ranged weapons would have helped little. It isn't like the orces were going to have feats to help out. Also, on their side of the bridge they didn't have lot of room, they came through a door and ran across the bridge. THe landing was not big.

Whoa, there, this is the point at which I fell off the tracks you were on.

Thirty orcs out of a group of ninety is not "a few" to lose to a slippery crossing and a flaming sphere. I would think that after the first two groups failed, the orcs would be hesitant to approach the PCs in the exact same way.

I would award PCs exp for whatever they killed, however . . . with the understanding that they have now angered the vast hordes that were going to sweep through the area regardless.