Handing out Experience

[DragonLancer]

I would award full XP for both encounters

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

As I recall, the rules are pretty clear about 'defeating an encounter' vs 'killing everything in the room.' Classic example which occurred in a game I played in was The Case of the Furious Frost Giant.

There was a place we had to go but rumors of a Frost Giant guarding the area were numerous. Being 5th level it was just enough for us to realize 'hey guys we might be able to take him' even though we probably shouldn't have. We spent about 20 minutes before setting out to the destination trying to figure out what we would do if we met the Frost Giant - various planning and ideas and so on.

We eventually decided the best course of action was to avoid a fight if we could. So our ranger went out and tried to spy on him from a distance. We were in no real hurry to get to the destination so we insisted the ranger tell us when the Frost Giant went to sleep (figuring he had to sleep sometime and since he had no wolves or anything it was easier). We very carefully snuck past him and went on our way. No fight. Our GM was happy to give us full XP for the encounter because we 'defeated the encounter' even though the Frost Giant was not dead.

Now, this might be slightly different if the Frost Giant had been terrorizing a community and we needed to get rid of him. Sneaking past him and stealing his stuff in the dead of night while possibly lucrative would not be a full XP award, I think. So when it comes down to it I think it has to do with what is supposed to be done vs random/side encounters.

 

[ThatGuyThere]

Generally I try to make a distinction: Did a foe flee with the fear of god in his heart? Full XP. Did a foe retreat unhurt to fight another day? No XP. The distinction is somewhat hazy: Was it a rout or a strategic retreat?

I'd award full XP for the squid. As for the giants:

• If five giants fought, three died, and two fled: Full XP.
• If three giants fought, two watched, the three died, and the two decided not to join the fight: XP for three giants. The remaining two live to fight another day.

I see where you're going here, and I think I partially agree. If the presence of the giants didn't affect the combat - they were watching, unseen in the woods, and none of the PCs ever acted against them or to defend against them - they didn't affect the encounter, therefore no XP for them. They might just as well not have been there (well, except for the fact that they're going to tell all the other giants).

But if they affected the combat - at all, from the Bard hurling insults at them to the ranger saying, "Join in and you're next", or even to just causing the PCs to pause before engaging the others, full XP. If the tactically and / or strategically (and / or plot-based) best course of action is not to fight, but to withdraw from the PCs, they're Bad Mother Shut-Your-Mouths, and should get the XP for defeating the giants.

 

[Henry]

I see it as the XP being awarded for 'overcoming the challenge,' not for defeating the encounter. If a party snuck by a Frost Giant guarding a pass, they'd get the XP. If they had to fight the Frost Giant on their way back, I'd give them XP for that, too - to me there's no difference between him and a second Frost Giant who happened to be in the area - he still has to be dealt with.

Should those hill giants in the example come back to terrorize the village, I'd award XP for defeating them, too -- but I'd also explore the roleplaying possibilities of what happens if the townspeople found out that the adventurers MET these giants beforehand and let them get away to do the terrorizing....

 

[kensanata]

Can you get ExP for defeating the same opponent more than once?

I agree; this is a problem. Here's how I handle it:

• Two giants got hit hard and flee in panic: XP for the two giants.
• Two giants got hit hard and flee in panic, are pursued, and cut down: XP for the two giants.
• Two giants did not get hit and make a strategic retreat: No XP.
• Two giants are tracked down and defated later (and they are at full hit points, either because they weren't hurt before, or because they recovered): XP for the two giants.

Thus, if the two giants were part of the melee, got hit hard, fled in panic, and are encountered later (fully healed), the group can get twice the XP.

And really, "they all look same" – if years pass between the first encounter and the final punishment, I find it natural to grant XP (again). Similarly, if the party later encounters two fully healed giants it doesn't really matter whether they are the same giants they encountered before: It's an encounter containing two giants and defeating them is worth some XP.

But if they affected the combat - at all, from the Bard hurling insults at them to the ranger saying, "Join in and you're next", or even to just causing the PCs to pause before engaging the others, full XP.

Hm. Tricky. How do you handle a stand-off, then? Party meets five giants, the giants won't let them pass, and there's no fight. No XP, right? Party wants to rid a valley of five giants, but whenever they meet the giants, they retreat. But as soon as the party is gone, the giants return. I'd still award no XP. The point is that the party neither weaken the enemy, nor did the party furher their goals. The giants just stayed. I don't want to give XP in this situation. I prefer the players having to take some risk: Sneaking past the giants, hitting them hard, or finding 10 minutes to change the squid's attitude from hostile to unfriendly via Wild Empathy. Just insulting monsters and surviving is not enough.

 

[Digital Archon]

This is my view on XP: Experience is awarded for overcoming a challenge, not for killing things. This is why XP is awarded for traps (whether or not it's disabled, XP is awarded for the trap as long as it's encountered) and non-combat encounters.

Therefore, in the two situations provided in the original post, i would provide full XP for the encounters because the challenge has been overcome.

In the post above mine, i would award no XP because no challenge has been overcome. Somehow convincing the giants to leave the valley without killing them all would be worth an XP award.

Furthermore, if an opponent challenges the PCs more than once, i figure it's fair to get XP for the challenge more than once. In general, it's not a good idea to let your opponents run away, because they're likely to come back with buddies, or new tactics to fight you with.

Only awarding XP for things killed simply encourages "kill everything in sight" behavior.

 

[the Jester]

In short-do you as DM only give experience for the monsters the party members actually kill, or also the ones that run away or escape, when it's clear they can't win the battle?

I give xp for defeating the monsters; killing them certainly qualifies, but so does driving them off, making them surrender, knocking them out or even just intimidating your way past them.

 

[Phlebas]

.................
Thus, if the two giants were part of the melee, got hit hard, fled in panic, and are encountered later (fully healed), the group can get twice the XP.
.........

IMHO, the key factor here is "Fully Healed" - ie effectively a new, fresh encounter. Tracking after a wounded giant to kill it shouldn't give anymore xp than driving it away in the first place....
UNLESS the giants can hole up in a hill fort with a pile of rocks and a narrow path that could be defended by a little old lady with a Broom.
But thats covered by the RAW, they've effectively increased the Cr of the encounter, as the circumstances have changed, and so additional xp is now available for completing the kill. If the party takes one look at the fort and decides they're not really that bothered, they get the xp based on the original CR only.

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

I also give XP for minor actions, such as healing, damage dealing, using spells, planning, and virtually anything with a positive, substantial outcome in this game. I award it at the end of the session.

 

[AnonymousOne]

I'm not sure if anyone has said this (I only read through the first 6 posts or so) but ...

Often times it can be much more difficult to diplomatically solve a problem than to simply leave a pile of bodies. In our last campaign the party had to blackmail a certain individual. The NPC was kinda a gray character, not good, not Evil, we assumed a CN alignment. The DM actually wasn't expecting this turn and awarded extra XP for the roleplaying and creative thinking. In reality, we could have just killed him and taken what we wanted. In the end he was a rather valuable information resource.