|
I've been participating in a local Reign of Winter adventure with three other players, complimenting the designated number of four PCs for the Adventure Path. We've also gained the cooperation of a NPC companion who is an active encounter participant, both combat and skill-based encounters. All XP earned has been divided between the five characters. Is this the proper procedure? Otherwise, what is the correct procedure of awarding XP to a four-PC group plus one NPC in this Adventure Path? Thank you.
By the rules, NPCs don't get XP awards. They level up when the GM deems they need leveling Don't split the XP award with NPCs.
However, if the PCs have a lot of allies in an encounter, that can effectively reduce the CR of the encounter by some amount. The PCs should receive an XP award appropriate to the effective CR of the encounter.
Either way works, but awarding XP to NPCs complicates things like Leadership.
My suggestion is to level companion NPCs by fiat, giving them about 3 levels for every 4 the PCs earn, unless they have become cohorts, at which point you can just use the rules for Leadership.
For combat encounters where NPCs are contributing, you might lower the XP award by 1 CR if there was a lot of NPC help. Such an adjustment would be done being the scenes so as not to ruffle the players' feathers - this kind of thing can cause players to resent NPC help. Oh, and cohorts should not cause an XP adjustment if you do this.
