Would you give XP for this?

[kreynolds]

After seriously debating this issue with myself, I've decided to add the following to my list of house rules...

1) One arrow on person at all times. No more.
2) No 5-foot steps.
3) Three partial actions make a full-round action.
4) A full-round action is 7 seconds, not 6.
5) A Wish or Miracle spell can grant any of the following with a single casting: 10 feats, +5 to BAB, a template that does not actually modify your ECL.
6) Mind Blank protects against everything, even fireball.
7) Mirror Image can be used to create a dancing chorus line that forces your victims to roll 5d100. A result of 2 or higher means that your victim can't attack you that round, that you can flank them with a +25 bonus to attacks, they lose their Dex bonus, suffer a circumstance penalty to AC equal to 8x the number of images you have.
8) Drawing an item from a HHH is a full-day action, unless you know exactly what pocket the item is in, in which case it's a full-day action minus 2 full rounds, which is 14 seconds, not 12.
9) You can sneak attack only once per round (the rogue is broken).
10) Fighters get 2 bonus feats every level (the fighter is broken).
11) The Ranger's favored enemy bonus is multiplied by 5, applies to attack rolls too, and can harm even creatures immune to critical hits, and there is no range limit, and finally, they get a bonus feat every other level (the ranger is broken).
12) Sorcerers can cast twice as many spells per day as shown in the PH (the sorcerer is broken).
13) Wizards can't cast spells at all (the wizard is broken).
14) Clerics get a d2 for hit die (the cleric is broken).
15) Paladins aren't changed at all (the paladin is perfect).
16) Druids can no longer wild shape (it's a stupid ability).
17) The bard is no longer an available class (they suck anyway).
18) No XP.

 

[hammymchamham]

4) A full-round action is 7 seconds, not 6.

SNIP

18) No XP.

You sir, are a cruel DM. Go strait to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

 

[kreynolds]

You sir, are a cruel DM. Go strait to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Hey! I left the paladin alone, didn't I?!

 

[Shard O'Glase]

ditto what RigaMortus said.

About the only time I'd give xp for blundering into traps unaware is if someone makes a conscious decision that they'll barrel into the unkown, counting on their class skill X to save them. And even then there would have to be a motivator for their decision that makes it seem like their is a challenge being overcome. I don't give xp for being dumb but lucky.

 

[melkoriii]

ditto what RigaMortus said.

About the only time I'd give xp for blundering into traps unaware is if someone makes a conscious decision that they'll barrel into the unkown, counting on their class skill X to save them. And even then there would have to be a motivator for their decision that makes it seem like their is a challenge being overcome. I don't give xp for being dumb but lucky.

Just remember next time you stick your hand into a old cupboard and get whacked (or almost) by a old rat trap to never check for rat traps in old cupboards for the rest of your life because you never learned (gained experience) from doing it before.

 

[hammymchamham]

Hey! I left the paladin alone, didn't I?!

oh, in that case...

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Just remember next time you stick your hand into a old cupboard and get whacked (or almost) by a old rat trap to never check for rat traps in old cupboards for the rest of your life because you never learned (gained experience) from doing it before.

That's crap, every experince is a learning experience just becasue one i spainful we should give xp.

The players shouldn't get xp for this, what they should get is some common sense. It very well may be a learning experience, but it sure shouldn't be an xp generating one.

You fall down the pit its a CR2 trap that's 300xp, hey you level up. Woo-Hoo, who knew failing the encounter could be so helpful.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

ditto what RigaMortus said.

About the only time I'd give xp for blundering into traps unaware is if someone makes a conscious decision that they'll barrel into the unkown, counting on their class skill X to save them. And even then there would have to be a motivator for their decision that makes it seem like their is a challenge being overcome. I don't give xp for being dumb but lucky.

That sentiment is why we have DMs and don't spend our roleplaying sessions in front of a computer screen playing in an infinite randomly generated dungeon.

Presumably those traps are there for a reason. The fact the paladin is "lucky" enough to have the exact correct immunities is not sufficient reason to shortchange him xp. He deserves as much xp as would an other PC in the same circumstances.

BTW, as a general rule, I think it is better to give the bulk of the xp for plot goals and only token xp for individual fights and traps.

For example, if the goal is to cross the Screaming Forest in order to rescue the princess on the other side, there should be xp appropriate to the overall danger and difficulty involved. Being bumbling idiots that keep stumbling into random monsters should not be worth significantly more xp than having a skilled druid along or finding/hiring a local ranger who can speed you past the dangers.

 

[melkoriii]

That's crap, every experince is a learning experience just becasue one i spainful we should give xp.

The players shouldn't get xp for this, what they should get is some common sense. It very well may be a learning experience, but it sure shouldn't be an xp generating one.

You fall down the pit its a CR2 trap that's 300xp, hey you level up. Woo-Hoo, who knew failing the encounter could be so helpful.

Heheh I was putting what you said in a real life situation.

You’re saying unless you KNOW there is a trap/challenge or are suspicious that there maybe one, you get no xp and that’s just stupid.

If I were to play in one of your games (which I wouldn’t) I would have my character always suspecting a trap / ambush / Lie just so I would not get cheated out of legitimate XP.


How do you handle the Rogue with improved evasion and a +15 Reflex save getting hit by a CD 15 trap that he knows is there? He is immune to the trap just like the Paladin.

 

[Nellisir]

If a character isn't threatened by an encounter, or does not have to take obvious steps to overcome an ecounter, or utilize resources to overcome it, then he or she shouldn't get XP.

This is not the same as making a save. IMC, saves fail on a 1. Always. So, the clumsiest trap still threatens even the best rogue (He blinked. He tripped. He had an off day. He was daydreaming about his girlfriend. It doesn't matter.) Hit points and spells are both expendable resources -- if you use them now, you don't have them later.

Immunities are not expendable resources, and the things that you're immune to don't threaten you. If an archer kills a monster that -can't- threaten him, he shouldn't gain anymore XP than he would for shooting a straw target. And if a paladin walks through a series of traps that he's automaticly immune to under all circumstances, then he shouldn't get anymore XP than he does for walking down the street.

Cheers
Nell.