Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Incarnate_91 04-29-06, 06:01 PM	I just a moment ago helped in a combat against a spectre where my other friends all had magic weapons and I didn't. I attempted to help by shooting it then the DM said it coming after me because I was the first one to shoot it. So when it came near I did not want to get energy drained so I ran 80 feet away. Then I would have tried to shoot it again if I could have done any good at all and I couldn't so I said I wasn't going to do anything and they killed a few rounds later and I was wondering I I should get any experience or not because my friend and DM think I should not get any.
Shaggy_Shaggs 04-29-06, 06:06 PM	You angered it and provoked it to chase you. The round(s) it was chasing you was a round it was not energy draining someone else. You contributed to defending the party and the spectre's eventual defeat, albeit in an indirect, limited way. You earned XP.
BeyondFated 04-29-06, 06:12 PM	I'm in this current game right now, and I feel that I should clarify a few things. 1) The spectre did not pursue Incarnate 91. Instead, it moved towards him in the first round, but then completely ignored him. 2) He shot 2 arrows, and then moved as far away as possible. Thats all he contributed to the battle.
Grunj 04-29-06, 06:26 PM	All for one and one for all, unless you want a Frenzied Berserker PC to get the credit for every single kill, including fellow party members.
JadeSpider9643 04-29-06, 06:28 PM	it doesn't matter what he contributed in terms of damage or what not. it matters that he was there. he was there so he gets the XP. he saw what happened and learned from the encounter. He learned to recognize when he's not effective at killing something and to get out of the way of his buddies or out of the creature's path of bloody destruction. he learned that running away is a valid tactic to survive energy drain attacks. XP is not awarded on a per-damage-dealt basis, if it was, then no one would play a bard and no wizard would ever prepare a utility spell. You can't distribute XP based on combat effectiveness, what if the fighter rolls miserably and misses every attack in a fight that lasts 2 rounds because the wizard disintigrated the adult gold dragon who rolled a natural 1 on the save. does the fighter get no XP? BALDERDASH! Of course he does!
geekling 04-29-06, 06:32 PM	He still took an active (the effectiveness of his activities is irrelevant) part in the encounter = share of the XP.
bob_the_great 04-29-06, 06:48 PM	everyone gets xp for all battles. you're a team. and the OP did do something, he drew its attention. besides, what was he supposed to do, stand there and die?
was_fired 04-29-06, 07:03 PM	It is customary to give XP equally to all who took part in a fight. Many games do have customs related to the distribution of XP that differ from this. Nothing says you can't deny him his XP on the grounds that you were annoyed that he didn't help.
Otto the Bugbear 04-29-06, 07:04 PM	Time to stop the game and figure out what exactly it is you're doing there. Are you playing the game to have fun? Are you playing the game with your friends? Do you want your friends to have fun, too? Is staying in a battle where you have no chance of contributing fun? Is having your "friends" verbally reprimand you over a GAME fun? Is leaving your friends holding the bucket, taking all the danger fun for you? Is seeing you standing back not even trying fun for your friends? OP: Play a rogue and demand EXP for every pocket you pick, every trap you disarm, every lock you open, every bluff you succeed at. All the EXP for a trap of that encounter level. Instead of running away and doing nothing, try something, try anything. At a level where specters are being thrown at you, you should have the resources to contribute in some way. BeyondFated: Why do you want to punish him for playing a coward? Cowards exist. Irrational fears exist. His character showed a very strong fear of specters. Sounds like you are bitter over that encounter. If he playes the rogue I recommend above, you'll support him gaining GOBS of exp for his rogue only actions. You'll support giving the cleric exp for healing. You'll support the wizard for his non-combat use of spells. Right? Thats all he contributed to the battle So, you're admitting that he contributed. This is far larger than gaining experience or not. This seems to be a problem within the group of players. If this is really a group of friends, this shouldn't even be an issue. He experienced it. He gains experience. He contributed. He gains experience. Cheers Otto :)
Incarnate_91 04-29-06, 08:00 PM	Well, everything is resolved, and as it should be. This wasn't a problem, so much as a friendly argument. There are no hard feelings, and nobody is bitter about anything.
olshanski_home 05-01-06, 01:32 PM	Everyone gets experience, whether they do anything or not. According to the rules, everything gets distributed equally. If you houserule that only clerics get experience for turning undead, only rogues get experience for disarming traps, only wizards get experience for blasting hordes of golins with fireball, then that is absolutely HOUSE RULES and really not that good for the game. If experience is distributed equally, then clerics may contribute by healing or buffing characters, rogues can sit out of dangerous battles with constructs where they have not much opportunity to do damge, but then once the fighter gets the party past the construct, the rogue can disarm the trap on the treasure chest... the rogue shares experience for the construct, just like the fighter shares experience for the trap... in general it makes for a good team game.
Dragonsblood 05-01-06, 02:08 PM	Tell your DM to read the DMG.