Death, XP, and Utter Failure

[Ring_of_Gyges]

When things go totally pear shaped and the party fails the mission do they get experience?

I can read the relevant rule two ways:

Guide to Organized Play p.36 wrote:

A PC may receive XP only if he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion and completed at least three encounters over the course of the

adventure.

Is that:

(he survives the scenario) or (is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion and completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure).

or is it:

(he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion) and (completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure.)

Hopefully that notation makes the ambiguity jump out. Any thoughts? What happens when the party complete two encounters, but realize they can't complete the mission and flee, alive, with tails between their legs?

[Under A Bleeding Sun]

Did they run from the third encounter? Or did they have 2 and then flee?

If they ran from the third encoubter I think an argument could be made that it was complete. Also, I generally include rp or espionage encounters, so if you completed one of those it may count depending on gm interpretation. I believe this is one of those grey areas where it's not 100% clear cut and different gms may do it differently.

I believe the bold OR statement is the correct one.

[Mark Garringer]

Ring_of_Gyges wrote:

Is that:

(he survives the scenario) or (is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion and completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure).

or is it:

(he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion) and (completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure.)

I believe it is:

(he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion) and (completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure.)

One of (a or b) and (c).

[Sniggevert]

Mark Garringer wrote:

Ring_of_Gyges wrote:

Is that:

(he survives the scenario) or (is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion and completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure).

or is it:

(he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion) and (completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure.)

I believe it is:

(he survives the scenario or is raised from the dead by the scenario’s conclusion) and (completed at least three encounters over the course of the adventure.)

One of (a or b) and (c).

I agree with this interpretation.

[Ring_of_Gyges]

I think the (a or b) and (c) reading is most defensible as well (which is what the Venture Officer present ruled btw).

It means you need to complete the same amount of adventure to get a point of XP regardless of death. "Amount of adventure" seems like a more sensible basis for XP than "died or not".

@Bleeding Sun
Yeah, there was some lack of clarity there as well. We succeeded at some social interaction worth some number of encounters (arguably one, arguably two) and then got stomped on the first fight. I would say we didn't "complete" the encounter that we ran from, but I can see people reading it the other way.

[thejeff]

Does the dead and resurrected character have to complete three encounters or does the party have to complete them?

If I die in the third encounter, but the rest of the party goes on to successfully complete the scenario, do I get the XP?

[Ring_of_Gyges]

thejeff wrote:

Does the dead and resurrected character have to complete three encounters or does the party have to complete them?

If I die in the third encounter, but the rest of the party goes on to successfully complete the scenario, do I get the XP?

I'd say no XP, since the rule starts "A PC may receive XP only if he..."

He didn't complete three encounters, the others did.