Xp or no Xp

[Nebrok]

Here's a question that came up when we started playing the Red Hand of DOOM adventure. In this adventure many of the enemies, primarily the leading villains (i.e. leaders and bosses) are suppose to flee if reduced to a certain amount of HP. If they do get away do the players get EX for overcoming the encounter? Someone was saying no, because the enemies were not killed. But I said yes because the challenge was still over-came, to defeat an enemies doesn’t necessarily mean to kill them

What would you say?

 

[the Jester]

Here's a question that came up when we started playing the Red Hand of DOOM adventure. In this adventure many of the enemies, primarily the leading villains (i.e. leaders and bosses) are suppose to flee if reduced to a certain amount of HP. If they do get away do the players get EX for overcoming the encounter? Someone was saying no, because the enemies were not killed. But I said yes because the challenge was still over-came, to defeat an enemies doesn’t necessarily mean to kill them

What would you say?

I agree; you don't have to kill an enemy to overcome them. What if you reduce them to -2 and then keep them alive? What about capturing them? Sneaking past a guard and achieving your goal? Etc, ad infinitum.

 

[KrazyHades]

I always give XP for passing the encounter, not killing the enemy. This could mean sneaking past him, forcing him to flee, turning him into a hamster, or some such. As long as the PCs are faced with the encounter and then pass it somehow, I give XP. If they never reach the encounter, then of course, they don't get any XP.

 

[Land Outcast]

What J & K said

*neuralizer*

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I say that you get the XP if the enemy runs away. You don't have to kill everyone to get the XP, you just have to overcome the challenge. This can be done in a variety of ways. You might even manage to do it without anyone raising a sword in anger. I'm pretty sure there is a section in the DMG that specifically adresses this.

Olaf the Stout

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Here's a question that came up when we started playing the Red Hand of DOOM adventure. In this adventure many of the enemies, primarily the leading villains (i.e. leaders and bosses) are suppose to flee if reduced to a certain amount of HP. If they do get away do the players get EX for overcoming the encounter? Someone was saying no, because the enemies were not killed. But I said yes because the challenge was still over-came, to defeat an enemies doesn’t necessarily mean to kill them

What would you say?

Its in the DMG - if you managed to achieve your goal then yes, you do get full experience for routing the blighter. If on the other hand your goal was to kill the nasty fellow then no.

So, if your goal was to get the gem from a guarded room, and you snuck past the guard then you would get XP as though you had defeated him.

If your goal was to get past the guard and kill Lord Middenheap so as to prevent his ascension to the Overembellished Throne but he got away, vowing to return to take his rightfully usurped throne then you would likely get a reduced XP reward.

If your goal was kill Lord Middenheap for slighting your sister, and he got away, then sorry, no XP for you.

The Auld Grump

 

[KrazyHades]

And if your name is Lord Middenheap, you gain the special ability "never get XP. Ever. Unless you legally change your name."

 

[Land Outcast]

What about:

Goal:
Exterminate permanently the lich

Players:
Destroyed the lich and his fake phalactery, leaving his true phalactery untouched: the doorknob.

DM:

 

[the Jester]

Actually, now that I think about it, just last night I had an encounter where the xp the pcs got was based on how much help they could coax from an npc. Because he led them around a CR 6 encounter (that was worth double xp because of tactical reasons), they got xp for overcoming a CR 8 challenge. Had they fought him, they would have gotten xp for a CR 7 challenge. Had they gotten biscuits from him, they would have gotten xp for a CR 2 challenge.

In any event, they got just as many xp for avoiding an encounter than they would have for having the encounter.

 

[S'mon]

If the enemy retreats but remains a threat, I will typically give 1/2 XP for partially overcoming the challenge.