XP award when PCs will convince an evil NPC to fight on their side.

[Shin Okada]

In an official module I am planning to run, PCs will have a chance to "convert" an evil NPC. If they make success in this, that NPC will join the party all the way long until the end of the adventure. In such a case, which method do you prefer to use for giving XPs for encounters thereafter?

1: Modification to EL
Treat that NPC (roughly as strong as a PC) as a factor to lower the difficulty of encounters. And lowers the EL and XP award of the encounters. The problem is, I have no idea how much reduction is reasonable to have an NPC with roughly the same CR as PCs, when the PC party is composed of 6 PCs (and a cohort).

2: Treat him as a virtual PC.
As he is roughly as strong as a PC, just treat him as another PC. I mean, divide the XP award by 7 instead of 6 thereafter.

3: Some other method.

My concern on method 1 and 2 is, as converting an evil NPC (actually a "fallen" NPC who was once a champion of good) seems to be the most honorable and clever role play, that will indeed reduce the XP award of the latter half of the adventure significantly. Even if I give ad hoc XP for conversion (redemption) of that NPC, the overall total of XP the PCs will get will be reduced much. That seems somewhat ... not right. And some player may think in meta-game way and may complain about it.

How wise DMs in this board will treat such situations in your sessions?

 

[Kat']

I'd say the PCs first gain a quarter of the XP they would have earned for defeating him, and you treat further encounters with a modified EL (your first solution). But NPCs shouldn't earn XP.

 

[irdeggman]

I would give the PCs full xp for the "Converted" NPC. Since they "overcame the challenge". This is alluded to on pg 40 of the DMG under "CRs for NOncombat Encounters".



pg 104 of the DMG has "allies" get full xp for encounters (these are lllies and not followers, hirelings or cohorts which are different).

". . . and those who actually travel with them on adventurs. . . . The latter function as party memebers and earn a full share of expereince points and treasure just as any other charcter does."

The NPC who functions as an additional party memeber should factor in to the EL of the party for determining proper CR encounters too - so do not forget this.

If from a specific published module with this as an option - there should be built in awards (and encounter adjustments) to use to account for this possibility.

 

[darthkilmor]

2: Treat him as a virtual PC.
As he is roughly as strong as a PC, just treat him as another PC. I mean, divide the XP award by 7 instead of 6 thereafter.

My group has an NPC barbarian and this is exactly what we do. He carries his weight in combat(probably more than most of the players since there is no fighter-type) so no one complains.

I never calculate EL because it doesn't matter for experience, only for party survivablity. I just design encounters that seem appropriate thematically, if the EL is too high then they shouldn't be fighting it and can run away, and equally, not everything will be a challenge. "Hey guys, notice how that since we're 5th lvl, we never encounter any more kobolds? We must have killed them all! Yay us!" (Not that its been a problem yet, they(lvl 7-8's) did take out a CR 13 construct a few sessions ago).


If it becomes an issue the NPC could always decide to leave the party. "You guys seem competent, and I left the stove on so, let me know how it goes."

 

[Kat']

I would give the PCs full xp for the "Converted" NPC. Since they "overcame the challenge".

Thought about it, but... what if he turns against them later?

 

[Nifft]

Thought about it, but... what if he turns against them later?

Then they get XP for overcoming him later. All of it.

Monsters don't have a special XP gland which you suck dry when you defeat them. If a dude presents a challenge to the party, and they overcome that challenge, they get the XP. If it's the same dude they fought last week, that's fine. If it's the same stat block with a different dude's name written at the top, that's fine too. If it's a brand new dude that the GM made up or found on line ... that is equally fine.

If the PCs are good, and converting the NPC to the side of righteousness is a valid party and/or PC goal, then I'd honestly give more XP for converting him, and give no "penalty" on the next few encounters. (Basically, take the XP they might get as a story reward for acting like good guys, and incorporate it into the encounters by not penalizing them.)

HOWEVER... I would not allow the NPC to participate in lots of fights, and he'd go his own way fairly soon. He might go off on his own to thwart some side-plot of the BBEG, then join the party for the climactic fight against that same BBEG.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dragonwriter]

I would say they get full XP for converting him. If he does turn against them later, and they kill him (or re-convert him) they get full XP again.
For the amount of time he is with the party, I would say to treat him like another party member, since that is what he is for the time being. Yes, the group would get a bit less XP, but they also have another person on their side.
If you don't want that, treat him like a cohort.

 

[moritheil]

The simplest solution is to make no provision for him at all in the XP calculations. Thus they don't get any for defeating him but they essentially have a free ally that doesn't factor into their ECL for subsequent fights.

RAW, you should give full XP for defeating him, as he was overcome and ceased to be a challenge, but then you have to count the party EL as slightly higher.

 

[roguerouge]

In my campaign, for the conversion, the party would get full XP and the PCs responsible get a modest story award for nonviolent problem solving. I would likely either give the NPC full XP or give him a half share, depending on whether the PCs needed the help the NPC provided in the first place. (No point in punishing them with less XP for getting the help they needed, IMO.)

 

[Infiniti2000]

I'm thinking that option 1 and option 2 end up being the same. Whether you reduce the XP to begin with or divide by a bigger number, it's the same, right? That said, option 1 isn't right. The encounter itself isn't less difficult on its own. Just because the party brings along a ringer or, say, happens to use the perfect tactic and breezes through it, doesn't earn them less XP.

All that said, do be a little wary of a couple of things. First of all, don't let your players gripe about the reduced XP. Plan now of a story-based way of having the NPC go about his business without the party. At the first sign of trouble in the players, or their characters, have the NPC leave. Having a NPC of the same level as the party greatly slows down the game and puts a major crutch in the hands of the players. This is particularly true if the NPC is a caster. As soon as you start to get tired of running the NPC or especially if the players try to rely on him too much, get rid of him.