XP For Defeating a Creature Twice

[Olaf the Stout]

If the PC's defeat a baddie, but he escapes, do they get XP when they face him a second time? I'm thinking that they would, but I don't know if I would award them full XP the second time around.

Olaf the Stout

 

[javcs]

They'd still get XP.

How much depends on how the situation has changed, advantageous for the baddie, the PC's leveled, baddie got a template/class levels, etc.

They wouldn't get less XP just because they faced the baddie before.

 

[moritheil]

As you noted, XP is awarded for defeating, not killing, so another defeat is still a defeat.

Obviously this assumes that it was really a legitimate encounter; you can't tie up a captured bad guy and claim to "re-defeat" him.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

They'd still get XP.

How much depends on how the situation has changed, advantageous for the baddie, the PC's leveled, baddie got a template/class levels, etc.

They wouldn't get less XP just because they faced the baddie before.

I was thinking of awarding less XP for the second time around since they now know what they're up against. The PC's are currently 1st level. They may be 2nd level before they face him again but I don't expect anything else will really change.

My logic in giving them less XP for the second time around is that, since they have faced him before, they will know what he can do and can be ready for it. Therefore they aren't learning as much from the encounter as the first time they faced him, hence less XP.

Of course I may just be pulling this out of my butt and they should still get full XP the next time they face him. I guess that's why I asked here in the first place!

Olaf the Stout

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I typically don't award the same XP twice. Either the P gets a fraction of the XP for the first encounter and the rest when the opponent is eventually defeated, or I hold off on awarding XP until the final encounter happens. If it doesn't, I go back and award a fraction for the encounter that happened.

Awarding the same XP twice doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

 

[Simm]

I would give full exp only the second time on a sort of any fight you can walk away from is a good fight philosophy. IMC characters get exp for overcoming challenges if the challenge of the first fight was to kill this enemy then they failed to overcome it and do not receive exp. If the challenge was survival ot to interupt a ritual or some other effect than they would. If the first fight had some other objective which was completed and the second fight's objective was to kill the enemy and they did they would receive full exp for both.

 

[javcs]

If they level up before facing the opponent, assuming he doesn't get a CR or EL increase, they get less XP anyways.

If both encounters are valid defeats, then they get however much XP they get for an encounter of that level

To knock down XP because they know capabilities of a foe can be extended into knocking down XP because of knowledge checks, and/or facing a creature of the same species before, ie, knocking down XP because they've already killed a goblin, so the next goblin, they get less XP.

 

[Zoatebix]

Why don't you give him another trick the second time around? An ambush, a trap, or a tanglefoot bag or three?

 

[moritheil]

I typically don't award the same XP twice. Either the P gets a fraction of the XP for the first encounter and the rest when the opponent is eventually defeated, or I hold off on awarding XP until the final encounter happens. If it doesn't, I go back and award a fraction for the encounter that happened.

Awarding the same XP twice doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

The problem is that he knows what they are capable of, and that tends to be much more devastating (at least in the campaigns I have run.) I'm assuming you have advanced him a level as well. Better yet, advance him two levels so he is 3 while they are 2. They waltz in expecting to crush him, and quickly find that they are sorely pressed . . .

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The problem is that he knows what they are capable of....

But they know what he's capable of as well so it's a moot point.