[3.5] Encounter Level (EL) and experience points (XP)

[SillySymphonies]

DMG, p48: "(...) if one monster has a given Challenge Rating, more than one monster represents a greater challenge than that."

For example: a small air elemental has a CR 1. The Encounter Level (EL) of two small air elementals is EL 3. ("In general, if a given creature's Challenge Rating is two lower than a given Encounter Level, then two creatures of that kind equal an encounter of that Encounter Level." [DMG, p48])

However the DMG has the following to say on XP awards for encounters: "To determine the XP award for an encounter, follow these steps. (...) For each monster defeated, determine that single monster's Challenge Rating." [DMG, p37, emphasis mine]

This would mean that the XP award does not increase whether a group monsters are fought all at once (increased EL) or one-by-one. Is this correct?
EDIT: is it correct that Encounter Level (EL) is not used in XP calculations?

For example: a party of 4 1st-level characters fights 2 small air elementals all at once (EL 3) or one at a time (2 times an EL 1). Despite the differences in the situation, they would get 2*(300/4) = 150 XP each in both situations.

* confused *

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Two CR 2's is an EL 3 encounter, but two CR 1's is also an EL 3 encounter. If you're the DM and want to throw two CR 1's at the party, have one engage them initially and have the second one show up a few rounds into the fight. If you're one of the players looking to complain about missing out on (300/number of party members) XP.... big friggin' deal!

[SillySymphonies]

Two CR 2's is an EL 3 encounter (...)
2x CR 2 = EL 4, if I'm not mistaken. Or are you refering to Table 3-1: Encounter Numbers from the DMG? That table is a bit... confusing: it lists 2x CR 2 as both EL 3 and EL 4.


If you're the DM and want to throw two CR 1's at the party, have one engage them initially and have the second one show up a few rounds into the fight. If you're one of the players looking to complain about missing out on (300/number of party members) XP.... big friggin' deal!
I'm the DM and I'm trying to calculate XP and I am wondering how EL fits into that. Let me rephrase my question: is it correct that Encounter Level (EL) is not used in XP calculations?

[Douglas]

I'm the DM and I'm trying to calculate XP and I am wondering how EL fits into that. Let me rephrase my question: is it correct that Encounter Level (EL) is not used in XP calculations?
Yes. The official XP math completely ignores EL and doesn't care at all whether the enemies were in a single group or spread out and fought one at a time.

Yes, this does make rather little sense if XP is supposed to scale with difficulty.

[Keld Denar]

EL is only factored in when determining how many encounters a party should fight in a given rest cycle, and how dangerous each encounter is likely to be. It has no bearing on XP.

[Kol Korran]

it is silly, but in a way, though more enemies in an encounter can make it more difficult than fewer encounters with fewer enemies, the reverse can also be true, due to resource management.

for example, lets take 1 troll (CR 5) or 2 trolls facing a 5th level party.

together, the two trolls pose a more difficult threat- they can flank, they can divide attention between the meleers and the casters, they can change places while they heal and so on.

but, what if they are met seperately? on the first battle the party may expend some of it's resources- fireball, haste, protection spells, and other timed spells or items. once they reach the second troll they might need to expand these again, if they have them... if the two trolls were met together, the fireballs would have greater effect (all in all), as would the timed spells, that would be useful for the entire encounter.

this is especially true when using monsters the party doesn't know, or enemies that are hard to gauge their threat level (NPCs with class levels). does the armor clad warrior and the mage beside him 3rd level? 5th? 7th?

just my thoughts. the entire XP system is kind of screwed in my opinion. i use a different method- XP based on accomplishments...
or as a friend of mine say- "i level them up when they have done something bloody impressive to deserve it!" this works spectacularly well!

don't stick to the rules to much. they can interfere with good gaming (IMO). i hope this helped, good luck,
Kol.

[Tvtyrant]

I hate leveling people in the middle of a dungeon, so I tend to do leveling by accomplishment like the above poster. You beat the dungeon, you get a level.

Sometimes this is slower then normal XP gain (I had a DM level us 5 times in 1 dungeon, with the result that we roflstomped the BBEG who was built for our initial level) and other times its faster (high levels mostly).