Post/Author/DateTime	Post
jelsas69 03-28-04, 02:14 PM	OK. Here's my story. Our group has 4 members. On one occation they had to stop orc from attacking a village. 1 of them wanted no part in bloodshed, so he tried to talk things out but other 3 went to kill some orcs. The first one managed to talk to orcs and they agreed they would discuss over price that would stop them from attacking the village. The other 3 meanwhile succeded in wining EL 5 encounter, and they are level 3. Since the first player didn't cooperate in encounter, he would get no xp for it, but he did roleplay and managed to achieve something. Other players in party got 600 xp for the encounter, and I awarded 100 xp to first guy. He was very dissapointed, and threathened to never roleplay again since it's not worth it. I however like if people try hard to do something especialy if it is not from fighting. So, how much XP would you give to the first player? And how much xp do you usually award for roleplaying accomplishments?
Teron Gorefiend 03-28-04, 02:30 PM	The role-player should have gotten the same amount of XP as the other players. XP is awarded for succeeding at a challenge (usually in the form of encounters), no matter how the player does so. Sneaking past an ogre is just as good as killing it and should earn the same reward (unless the point was to stop it from attacking a village or some such, in which case the sneaker didn't accomplish the goal and should get nothing). Negotiation is also a fine way to resolve an encounter, and should earn full XP (assuming the character succeeds, of course; don't forget those diplomacy rolls). Otherwise, the player was right; why should he ever bother with the reasonable solution to a hostile encounter if he's better off killing it?
Aeristoch 03-28-04, 02:51 PM	How many orcs did the roleplayer negotiate with? In my opinion I would award him the same amount of experience for the orcs that he negotiated with as if he had slain them. Good rule of thumb though, all players should share in experience. For example, I had a player recently who was worried that after damaging a carrion crawler then being paralyzed by it and unable to finish the encounter, he would get no exp. Of course he would earn the exp for the encounter, he participated in the encounter. My point is this. The roleplayer participated in the encounter, therefore he is entitled to the same amount, if not more due to roleplaying, of experience.
Majin_Tenshi 03-28-04, 03:14 PM	Allright... from what I gather, there were 2 semi-seprate groups of orcs. The first was EL5, which was slain by the 3 PCs. The second was EL? and was succesfuly negotiated with by PC#1. Since the party split in 2, IMO different EXP should be awarded. The 3 PCs should get the normal exp for defeating the EL5 group of orcs. I'd give PC#1 the full exp for negotiating with the EL? as if he had defeated it singlehandedly.
grapedog 04-07-04, 02:55 AM	Originally posted by Majin_Tenshi Allright... from what I gather, there were 2 semi-seprate groups of orcs. The first was EL5, which was slain by the 3 PCs. The second was EL? and was succesfuly negotiated with by PC#1. Since the party split in 2, IMO different EXP should be awarded. The 3 PCs should get the normal exp for defeating the EL5 group of orcs. I'd give PC#1 the full exp for negotiating with the EL? as if he had defeated it singlehandedly. I like this call the best in this situation...award the RP'er for going beyond the "normal" call of duty and trying to work his way through it socially. You definately DO NOT want to cultivate an atmosphere of kill it if it moves. Look at that odd looking bunny over there...KILL IT!!
ImmortalBlueMage 04-07-04, 04:27 AM	Nothing bothers me more than DMs who don't award XP for RPing instead of fighting. Give the negotiator FULL XP for warding off the Orcs, always just as much as if he had had a knock down drag out fight with them. By the same measure, award full XP if instead of fighting or negotiating he snuck into the Orcs camp and spiked their provisions with a powerful Sleep potion to knock them all out on the even of battle, or evacuated the entire city via a series of huge teleportation spells so that the Orcs arrived to find only empty streets and buildings (this last might recieve fewer points, since the Orcs would likely loot and destroy the empty city anyway, so the PC failed to defend the townsfolk's homes but succeeded at saving their lives), etc, etc...