This is close to what happened in our campaign recently. How would you handle the xp distribution?
The party was in a city not doing too much when they heard people saying the city was being attacked. The city's protectors went to defeat the foe. The players were suppose to see that the city had powerful people to call upon, maybe try to get to know them or one day join them. The city's people were all 15+ level the threat was CR 20+. The PCs are level 10 or less. The PCs ran outside to fight, using spells from a distance and missile weapons. One guy even ran next to a 20th level fighter to aid another. He was not really threatened. The enemy knew the 20th level guy had a vorpal blade having seen it in action (he had to take out the guy with 4 attacks first.) The 20th level guy fell and the PC retreated. The spell caster could not penetrate the SR. Another of the city's protectors picks up the sword and beheads the enemy. The players feel entitled to at least some of the xp if "only" 10,000 xp.
If a mindflayer is swooping over the village to terrorize its people and an 1st level guard with a bow somehow strike him with a 20 causing damage, the dragon wipes out a few buildings, the mindflayer blasts all of the guards on the wall with a mindblast and the visiting mage kills the mindflayer with a disintegrate spell. Would you give the guard and xp? What if all the guards were 1st level PCs?
In the first example above against a CR 20 enemy the 10th level PC would get about 1/10th of 70,000. The 20th level NPC would get 1/10 of 6,000. If the PCs were not there the NPC would get 1/10 of 12,000. What would you give? Some are even lower than 10th. There are 5 of 10th and less and 5 that are 15th to 20th.
What's the party ECL? And what is the ECL as a group for the NPCs? Need to know this to answer your question.
Roughly NPCs-19th and party 9th. On average.
Just taking the party's level and the CR of the villain into account, the party shouldn't receive any of the encounter award. This just hits the point where the DMG assumes the encounter is so far beyond the party's ability that the DM shouldn't be exposing them to it. That in mind, I wouldn't bother trying to calculate how much they should receive based on CR and party level.
However, they /should/ be rewarded. They acted heroically (which the D&D game encourages) and participated in the defense of the town. An ad hoc award is most appropriate in this case. As for how much, I'd go with anywhere from 100 to 200 XP per level of the character/party.
However, they /should/ be rewarded. They acted heroically (which the D&D game encourages) and participated in the defense of the town. An ad hoc award is most appropriate in this case. As for how much, I'd go with anywhere from 100 to 200 XP per level of the character/party.
Agree with this muchly. Also, as a non-XP award, give them discounts on goods and wares in the town, maybe free lodging at the local inn. A feast in honor of the heroes. Things like that.
One thing you may want to consider is not having the PCs so hopelessly outmatched that all they can do is watch the NPCs save the day. I'd find that scenario tremendously unfufilling.
Just taking the party's level and the CR of the villain into account, the party shouldn't receive any of the encounter award. This just hits the point where the DMG assumes the encounter is so far beyond the party's ability that the DM shouldn't be exposing them to it. That in mind, I wouldn't bother trying to calculate how much they should receive based on CR and party level.
However, they /should/ be rewarded. They acted heroically (which the D&D game encourages) and participated in the defense of the town. An ad hoc award is most appropriate in this case. As for how much, I'd go with anywhere from 100 to 200 XP per level of the character/party.
This sound very reasonable. The point that bothered me was two of the three players made statements immediately after the fight regarding how much xp they were going to receive. The motivation seems to be more a part of metagaming rather than a desire to protect the city. They cast spells from a distance and fighter ran in when the fight was almost over. I do agree awarding them something. In the future this action could result in one of the enemy's flunkies attacking them or get caught in an area spell.
One thing you may want to consider is not having the PCs so hopelessly outmatched that all they can do is watch the NPCs save the day. I'd find that scenario tremendously unfufilling.
The players do not live in a vacuum. If the city only experiences threats the PCs can handle, this creates a world without much verisimilitude. The intent was for the party to realize the reprocussions in the city are much greater than the countryside because the people are better able to deal with troublemakers and give then the opportunity to talk to the other heroes. Players never seem to do what DMs intend. Just because the DM introduces hints or events that foreshadow future events does not mean players need to jump at them. If the players hear that Holmer of the Shield Lands was carted off to the City of Iuz that does not mean that the players should march on Dorakaa at 5th level. It is a rumor. Players need to realize their limitations and that world does not revolve around them or they will most likely become cocky and condescending to those around them. Their ability to affect the world needs to continual increase as they advance in level.