In the hardcover book, each event that takes place is listed with an EL. What good is this in role playing encounters and such? Is it intended to mean "Give the players XP for this event equivalent to this level encounter?" And how do I calculate this? (For example, the first encounter with Jenya is listed as EL 2. It's just her talking though, and the characters interacting, so... what do they get, if anything? And why does it have an EL? What about the first run-in with the beholder in the first chapter, which is an EL 18?)
Nothing.
The EL is listed, as with any published adventure, 'just in case'. The party don't get any XP for just talking to the creature/NPC unless the DM gives it to them for furthering the plot, discovering a vital clue etc but such an award would be extremely rare. More often that not the party only get XP when they defeat a creature, trap or the like.
I've never been a big fan of awarding XP for normal roleplay unless the adventure is particularly desolute of battles.
So, overall just ignore the ELs unless the party defeat the creature and have a good time :)
Delvesdeep
Just want to add a bit to what delvesdeep said. Encounter level is a measure of how tough an encounter is for a party. You can use it to build adventures. However, you don't use EL to hand out XP.
Instead, use CR. So if you have a EL 6 encounter consising out of four CR 2 dretches, hand out xp for four cr 2 creatures, not 1 el 6 encounter.
As Delvesdeep notes the listing of the EL for talking encounters does not give any XP under normal circumstances. Published adventures note the challenge level even for encounters that are not meant to be fights. Its rather redundant but the NPC in question do have CRs and in the extreme if the players decide to kill them they would, technically, be worth XP.
'Course if the players start killing every NPC just for the XP I think the DM needs to intervene 'cause this is a serous abuse of the XP system and is hurting the game.
Its somewhat reasonable to give an EL in all cases however because there are always encounters that could go either way and it can be hard to judge when a 'role playing' encounter might turn into a fight. Always having the EL listed means that the DM is prepared should things go differently for his party. Maybe the DM is running for a group of mercenary type black guards ... in this case some of these 'role playing' encounters might inadvertently turn into a fight where as they nearly certainly would not if the players are a bunch of goody two shoe worshipers of Pelor or some such.
Alright! Thank ye, just one other question... since a beholder WILL be showing up, and the characters will (probably) be surviving the experience, and it IS an experience, even if the beholder is holding back, do I give any XP, or would that be too easy, even if the beholder neutralizes every last one of them?
You award XP for the defeat of a foe, including their running away. In this case, the beholder shows up, takes what is his, and leaves. The party does not defeat him in battle, nor do they drive him away. Since he leaves for his own purposes, they do not get any XP for him. He could waste them if he wanted to. They also do not defeat him in role play by persuading him to leave or to give up Terrem. No XP for this one, unless they decide to take him on and miraculously do kill him or send him running!
Regarding handing out XP for overcoming encounters, what's the general take on the situation where the PCs force Drakthar to flee in gaseous form? Do you award XP the first time they cause him to flee, or must the vampire be destroyed? I went with the latter, but I'd be interested to hear what others did and why.
Regarding handing out XP for overcoming encounters, what's the general take on the situation where the PCs force Drakthar to flee in gaseous form? Do you award XP the first time they cause him to flee, or must the vampire be destroyed? I went with the latter, but I'd be interested to hear what others did and why.
I'm slingy at the best of times when it comes to XP. We actually halve all our awarded XP! I did the same as you and just gave out the XP when he was finally killed inside his guarded coffin.
Delvesdeep
Regarding handing out XP for overcoming encounters, what's the general take on the situation where the PCs force Drakthar to flee in gaseous form? Do you award XP the first time they cause him to flee, or must the vampire be destroyed? I went with the latter, but I'd be interested to hear what others did and why.
In general your only able to collect XP from the same creature once.
Now if it happened to be a reoccurring villain that had gained levels between each encounter then its worth full XP every time you beat the villain.
In the case of Vampires and such their only worth XP if they are defeated in terms of the overall adventure. So forcing them to run away is only worth XP if they then choose to exit the adventure. If they remain around to oppose the players later in the adventure then they are not worth XP until they are finally defeated.
Regarding handing out XP for overcoming encounters, what's the general take on the situation where the PCs force Drakthar to flee in gaseous form? Do you award XP the first time they cause him to flee, or must the vampire be destroyed? I went with the latter, but I'd be interested to hear what others did and why.
I handed out XP the first time, when the PCs defeated him. If they destroy Drakthar in his coffin, and he has no way to fend off the PCs, that's not really defeating him. However, if Drakthar manages to get away and returns to confront the PCs another day, (when they least expect it, like when they're asleap in their room, low on spells and with no armor or weapons within reach) that would be a second defeat. PC's should get full xp for that encounter too.