When exactly do you overcome a challenge?

[Three_Haligonians]

Some creatures have very specific conditions that must be met in order to destroy them. My question is: when a group faces one of these monsters and defeats it in a manner that will allow it to return do they get the XP for the CR of that creature? or do they only get it once, after they truly defeat it, no matter how many times they fight it off in between?

What about creatures who aren't hard to kill? What if the BBEG just happens to have a contingency teleport set up and flees the scene? Do they get XP for defeating him and then again when they beat it for the second time?

What determines when the challenge is overcome?

J from Three Haligonians

 

[ElvishBard]

Mostly a DM call really, there are no rules for those types of situations to the best of my knowledge. Ask the players what they think they should get and try to come up with a fair arrangement when it happens.

 

[dcollins]

Yes, totally up to the DM. Personally I award half XP one time, then a quarter, then an eighth etc.... I only give one full unit of XP for fights with any one particular character. However, I think you'll find most people on these boards will disagree pretty strongly with how I rule it.

 

[sullivan]

What determines when the challenge is overcome?

The same person that determines what the challenge is.

Concise, cryptic, accurate. I should have been a Zen master.

For creatures like vampires, trolls, etc. that need extra measures just set aside a portion of the XP for the final disposal. (EDIT: This assumes that the final destruction of the creature in question is a goal. ) Although I'm fairly flexible on XP I wouldn't give them duplicate XP for having to repeat a battle because of a foolish error. I'd give leeway though for special circumstances that I created by design of the world.

Then again I give XP even for an overall failure, especially if it is a stylishly executed failure. I treat XP as learning points, and personally I have learned a great deal over the years from failures. Why shouldn't PCs? No need really to penalize for failures, lost time/equipment/cash/pride/life takes care of that.

 

[Saeviomagy]

In general:
The PCs get the XP for defeating someone if that someone FAILS at their objective, and the PCs succeed.

So if the PC's mission is to kill the evil lich, they only get XP once he's totally destroyed.

If their mission is to stop his evil plans, and they kill him temporarily, then dismantle his army and smash his tower, they get full XP.

If their mission is to take the jade monkey from him, then they could conceivably get the XP from him without ever actually directly confronting him.

 

[Kaffis]

Saeviomagy has the guidelines I tend to use down.

In addition, with hard-to-kill things like trolls, there are a few more factors I'd consider. A) Does the troll really need to die, or just be out of the way long enough for them to pass/do what they need to do? If it's a one-time obstacle, and they get it out of the way without finishing it off, that's acceptable, particularly if it escapes under its own designs (runs away, contingent teleports, etc.) or if they intentionally spare something under an RP premise. B) Do the characters know what it takes to kill a troll, and willfully let it live? If they knew, and intentionally let it live under the premise that they'll kill it again on their way out of the dungeon, or let it come after them again, then that's purposefully milking the system and I think a geometric reduction like dcollins mentioned is perfectly appropriate (and something I'd not thought of before! *yoink*). C) Heck, for any encounters -- I'd consider disarmed and tied up bandits left by the side of a moderately well travelled road with a sign that said "thieves" next to them defeated, even though they're neither dead nor imprisoned.

 

[Tonguez]

In general:
The PCs get the XP for defeating someone if that someone FAILS at their objective, and the PCs succeed.

So if the PC's mission is to kill the evil lich, they only get XP once he's totally destroyed.

If their mission is to stop his evil plans, and they kill him temporarily, then dismantle his army and smash his tower, they get full XP.

If their mission is to take the jade monkey from him, then they could conceivably get the XP from him without ever actually directly confronting him.

Second this

Its really about overcoming challenges to achieve an objective (the classic example being the guards at the palace gate - the PCs can kill them, bluff their way in or sneak past (however they do it if they get into the palace they have achieved their objective and 'overcome the challenge')

 

[RigaMortus]

We tend to give full exp even if the opponent flees and they are confronted again by them later. Think about it this way. Say you are fighting a Troll. What is the difference if you kill the Troll, then have to fight a different Troll later OR if you do not completely kill the Troll and have to face the same Troll later? There really isn't much of a difference. In fact, if you fight the same creature again, it might be that much tougher. Because while you now have "experience" in defeating that creature, that creature may remember you and your group's tactics, making it a bit tougher to defeat...