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Environmental Hazards exp?

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My GM asked me to ask you to clarify this:

How does one award exp for surviving/interacting with environmental hazards?

Unless the CR is listed somewhere, that's GM discretion - basically the same way you'd give xp for defeating a creature

Assign it a CR as if it were a creature/creatures, then calculate the experience for dealing with an encounter of that CR.

Now, assigning the CR appropriate is the hard part, but it is even with creature encounters.

I think he means the ones listed in the traps and hazards section. for example:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/traps-hazards-and-special-terrains/ha zards/environmental-hazards/cave-in-or-collapse-cr-8/

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/traps-hazards-and-special-terrains/ha zards/environmental-hazards/treacherous-hillside-cr-1/

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/traps-hazards-and-special-terrains/ha zards/environmental-hazards/leeches-ghost-leeches-cr-1-2/

Stop using XP and level based on plot.
Sczarni

Do plant characters who are immune to poison get anything for trouncing through radioactive areas they are immune to? A bit out there. But I'd say no. Same if you have "endure elements" up. Naw. The weather's not a problem. I guess I'll go up a level walking across the desert. Naw. Just naw.
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Any environmental hazards that have a listed CR would award XP just like defeating monsters or traps. Assuming you are using XP.

Many DMs (including me) use milestone awards which include things like hazards, special clues discovered, cunning plans executed and so on. I still use XP mainly because my players don't want to give it up. As long as I keep an eye on what they need to level, using xp is like using fractional level advancement.
Dark Archive
Claxon wrote:
Stop using XP and level based on plot.

Just to note, replies like this are really unhelpful and rude since they don't actually answer question asked :P Espicially when the OP isn't even gm in this question.

But yeah, its based on CR.
CorvusMask wrote:
Claxon wrote:
Stop using XP and level based on plot.

Just to note, replies like this are really unhelpful and rude since they don't actually answer question asked :P Espicially when the OP isn't even gm in this question.

But yeah, its based on CR.

I'm sorry you disagree with my position, but calling it rude is also rude.

Everyone has this stupid obsession with XP as though it is somehow incontrovertibly necessary to the game. But it isn't. Most APs tell you about when your characters should level. If your GMing a homebrew you probably should have planned out encounters and when your PCs will level.

Or instead of doing a lot of math to make up stuff and make it happen, you can instead just decide when (as a GM) is an appropriate time for PCs to gain power (because you want to ramp up the challenges).
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Claxon wrote:
Everyone has this stupid obsession with XP as though it is somehow incontrovertibly necessary to the game. But it isn't. Most APs tell you about when your characters should level. If your GMing a homebrew you probably should have planned out encounters and when your PCs will level.

In my case, "everyone" is all of my players. They are old-school, and they really *enjoy* adding up the drips and drops of XP until they breach the level barrier.

I have nothing against DMs and groups who level up according to AP milestones. My group likes XP. Some other groups are the same way, others aren't. I understand Claxon's position, but that doesn't mean everybody should necessarily adopt that approach. And it doesn't make xp-users "stupid". <g>

In my RotRL AP, following player initiative, I have added a fair bit of homebrew content not included in the AP. Of course, those adventure segments resulted in XP awards. The AP-specific adventures also resulted in XP awards... but I did something tricky behind my players' backs. I arranged the XP awards so that they were roughly a level and ahlaf *behind* the recommended level for a given section of the AP.

Why?
- They got 25-point buy for their characters (within specific limits) instead of the 15-point buy that the AP suggested.
- Starting in chapter two, some of them started getting carefully selected mythic powers, which also raised their threat level.
- Some of the non-AP episodes resulted in them getting character-specific gear that they really love, and which raises their threat level.

Of course, they have no idea what the "suggested" or "target" character level for a given episode is. They just keep adding up xp. And they love it. And are doing quite well a level or two behind the target AP levels.

So, unless the OP really wants to go for the level milestone method which ignores XP totals, he can be fair by handing out XP for encounters, traps, and environmental hazards based on listed CR values. And he can also "spitball" it and give ballpark xp awards when he feels like it, as long as he keeps his eye on the level targets.

YMMV.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Claxon wrote:
CorvusMask wrote:
Claxon wrote:
Stop using XP and level based on plot.

Just to note, replies like this are really unhelpful and rude since they don't actually answer question asked :P Espicially when the OP isn't even gm in this question.

But yeah, its based on CR.

I'm sorry you disagree with my position, but calling it rude is also rude.

Everyone has this stupid obsession with XP as though it is somehow incontrovertibly necessary to the game. But it isn't. Most APs tell you about when your characters should level. If your GMing a homebrew you probably should have planned out encounters and when your PCs will level.

Or instead of doing a lot of math to make up stuff and make it happen, you can instead just decide when (as a GM) is an appropriate time for PCs to gain power (because you want to ramp up the challenges).

It's not rude to point out that a Rule Zero solution is disingenuous when there's an actual rule for answering the question in the Rules Question forum.

If this was Advice, I wouldn't comment, because the advice to stop using XP is quite reasonable.
Wheldrake wrote:
And it doesn't make xp-users "stupid".

To be clear, I didn't say people who use XP are stupid. I said the obsession with counting XP is a stupid thing. Everyone does stupid things from time to time, doesn't make you as a person stupid though.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Anyways...

I would recommend looking up existing hazards, and comparing their CR's with those of the hazards you intend to throw at the party. That should give you a fair idea of how much XP to aware the survivors, or when to use those hazards in the first place.

I've listed a few below for your convenience:

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