XP and defeating opponents

[James McMurray]

We generally NPC a character for someone that's going to be late or can't make it to avoid story continuity problems. If they don't make it they still get XP, assuming they've got a good reason. "I can't make it because I'm sick" is cool. "I'm raiding on WoW" is not.

 

[werk]

He left because they showed up, didn't he?

Driven away = defeated but not necessarily killed.

The encounter has been overcome, but the lich actually posed no challenge at all, so should not be included in the EL. The lich has not been overcome.

Hope that helps.

 

[Nail]

My kobold warlock PC has Craft (trapmaking) and wants to gain the party a little extra XP. He installs one of his traps in the dining room of the party's headquarters, and asks the party rogue to disarm it so they can earn the XP for overcoming it.

Do you award the party XP?

Depends.

Usually not, since I view the XP from a trap to be from both finding it and disabling it. I readily admit this deviates from RAW.

The RAW question is: Is the challenge overcome?

If the trap is a challenge, then the answer is yes. Is the trap, made by a friend and clearly labeled, located within the PCs stronghold -- is such a trap a challenge?

I doubt it.