Just exactly when do you get Exp?

[Tatsukun]

OK, this has probably been asked before, I'm just checking my math. Here's the situation...

A 5th level party goes out and fights a BBEG. The (5th level) fighter, Bob, has a total of 14,999 Exp (one shy of 6th level).

The party eventually kills the BBEG, but poor Bob gets killed too.

The party is awarded 2,500 Exp each for the encounter.

The next day, Bob is raised. Does he have ...
1) 6,001 Exp (the minimum for 4th level)
2) 8,000 Exp (the halfway point between 4th and 5th levels)
3) 8,500 Exp (min + the awarded Exp for the fight)
4) 10,500 Exp (halfway + awarded Exp for the fight)
5) 12,500 (the halfway point between 5th and 6th levels)
6) Other

Thanks
-Tatsu

 

[dcollins]

I only have 3.0 books, but therein the rule is:

If a character dies and is raised, the awarded experience points are granted to her after she comes back from the dead (and after she loses the level from death, if appropriate). (DMG ch. 7: "Experience Awards: Death and Experience Points", 3.0 DMG p. 169)

So option #4.


HOUSE RULE: A significant house rule in my campaign is to pro-rate any XP loss to smooth out the issues around the point of level-up. If you're N% the way through one level, you drop to N% the way through the last level. In the above example case, the fighter would drop back to just a little bit under 5th level. (4999 / 5000 = 99.98% x 4000 = 3999, so 4th level with 9,999 XP). Then he'd add the gained XP for a final total of 12,499, which is effectively the same as your option #5.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

Option #4 is the right one, but I had given him that lousy 1 XP then there would be no situation like this. I hate it being something like 5 XP away from next level so I fix it as a DM. Makes no fun as player as well waiting for those 1 or 2 XP.

 

[shilsen]

Option #4 is the right one, but I had given him that lousy 1 XP then there would be no situation like this. I hate it being something like 5 XP away from next level so I fix it as a DM. Makes no fun as player as well waiting for those 1 or 2 XP.

I agree with Black Knight Irios, who incidentally is waaay too kind for a guy with a blackguard for his picture

 

[robberbaron]

Our group's general rule of thumb would make Option 3 the one for us, but none of us would have screwed Bob for 1 lousy XP!

Taking the DMG as gospel I think the result should be:
When coming back from the dead (assuming Raiseing) Bob would be 1 XP from 5th level, then gain 2500 XPs, making him 5th level again, on 11499 XPs.
[According to Raise Dead, the character loses 1 level. Leaving him 1 XP shy of 5th is applying the rule by the letter].

 

[Li Shenron]

It really looks like 4) is the "correct" one. I use the quote marks because I think that in general having too much specific rules on xp awards is quite klunky.

 

[Matafuego]

Well IMC there are lots of players short 1xp
because since I give XP after entire campaigns sometimes they advance more than one level and if they're in the top levels of the party I leave them 1XP short of advancing.
He would have 12.500 (I always award the XP first if it helps the player, but that's not what the rules say)

 

[kwiqsilver]

I use a house rule similar in spirit to dcollins' rule, but a bit easier (and slightly more generous). If he's level 5, he loses 4000XP (level minus one times 1000). If he's less than 1000xp from leveling, he doesn't even lose a level.

 

[Anubis]

robberbaron, I would like to point out that "by the rules" means you go to half the way between the levels when you lose a level from getting raised, not to the minimum of that level.

To answer the original question, well, it all depends on when you award XP. If you go "by the book" and give it after an adventure, then I'm pretty sure he gets set to half through the previous level and gains no XP at all.

Personally, I give XP after each battle (it's the only REALISTIC way that makes sense, and if you keep everything on a computer instead of on paper, it's easy to do) . . . In fact, I gain levels in the middle of stages as well, and set the maximum possible XP per battle at 1000 times the character's level . . . Doing it this way does take out a slight chunk of time, but those with good groups should make it simple enough for players to gain their own levels and take much of the work out of it; nonetheless, again, this is more realistic and much much simpler . . . So for me, if you lose your level, you simply would get set to the half point of the previous level, period.

 

[kwiqsilver]

I usually give the XP out after each combat too. It's the best way to not forget it, and sometimes they need it to tackle the rest of the evening. My players are ready though. Most of them already have new skill points, feats, attack bonuses, etc. penciled in when they show up.