xp for this encounter

[Plane Sailing]

A way that you can handle this kind of scenario is play out the PC's vs a number of the bandits as a proper melee, and assume that the rest of the guards do as well as the PCs do... the PCs melee is a microcosm of the actual battle.

Then you can award them xps for the actual encounter they had.

Otherwise, I'd go with story xps for this encounter as per whatever method you are using.

Cheers

 

[Thanee]

otherwise every tom, dick, and harry NPC guard on a caravan route would be at least warrior lvl 2 or 3...

Hey, once they are named tom, dick, and harry they are beyond the red shirt syndrome.

Be
Thanee