The lar (from the bestiary in the back of Council of Thieves) has an ability called Genius Loci that allows it to possess objects so they become animated objects. When the animated object is defeated, or when the lar is expelled with dispel good cast on the object, the lar takes damage.
So my question is, should the PCs get XP for defeating the animated object, or should the animated object be considered part of the lar's CR, like summoned creatures are, so the party only gets XP if they defeat the lar itself?
The animated objects are part of the XP of the creature. Even more so than a summoned creature since as you "kill" the animated objects, the Lar takes damage.
As it said, this is an ability OF the monster (a part of), so
"the animated object be considered part of the lar's CR, like summoned creatures are, so the party only gets XP if they defeat the lar itself."It's "as if" the monster casts the spell animated object.
In AP, generally speaking, they give the CR of the encounter in head of each paragraph (paragraph is a letter +a number):
ex: B8 - (text) - CR xxIf you look, you'll see it's the sum of each CR "inside the paragraph" (monster, trap, etc...) after applied the rule of "stacking CR".
So, you have just to take the CR of the encounter (if your players "pass" the encounter) for XP: Paizo has already calculated XP of encounter for you!!!NOTE: "pass an encounter" doesn't mean "kill everybody". If your players search another ways like "avoid monster", negotiate, lock the monster, etc... for me, it's all good.
Thanks. I'm not running Council of Thieves so I only printed the bestiary entry for the lar from the back of the AP volume, and how to address the XP for the animated objects wasn't addressed in the bestiary entry that I could find. I'll have to go back and find the encounter in the AP.
In my home campaign I have a lar being established right now as an ally of the party and guardian of their base of operations. (So hopefully I won't have to award the party XP for the lar's animated objects.)