Do Undead NPC get exp when controlled by an Evil Cleric using Animate Dead?

[ebice82]

I am playing a level 5 kobold cleric of Tiamet in a 3.5 evil campaign where through use of the desecrate spell I have control over 5 undead creatures, 3 Zombie Ogres and 2 Skeleton Centuars. I am in a party with a level 5 barbarian dwarf, level 5 fighter (archer) half-dragon (Who is using a variant rule to level up either as a fighter or as a half dragon to avoid the ECL), a level 4 Sorceress human, and a level 4 Rogue Elf. Our DM last game threw at us 6 dwarven paladins who retreated after 2 rounds, 2 bulettes, whom we killed, and 3 Salaads who also ran away. For our efforts we only got 600 exp.

It was late so we didn't discuss why we got so low of an exp after the last game. I do plan on talking with the DM about this before the beginning of the next game, but myself and the half-dragon fighter did get a chance to talk about it outside of the game. We both have DM'd before and know we should be getting at least double the exp we got just for the bulettes. We think that he has counted the undead minions I have as part of the party when dividing the exp.

So here is the main question: Can my undead NPCs be counted when dividing up the exp? If so do they get it or do I get it because I am the cleric controlling them?

I would say no because they are just really fodder. I only raised them because the party's main tank, the barbarian was getting her butt kicked every encounter and I got tired of having to play band-aid box, even though I do make her buy her own healing wands.

I could be wrong though and if anyone has any thoughts I'd be happy to hear them. I'm just looking for info I can show my DM in a respectful way and I do plan to abide by whatever decision he makes.

[Gwazi Magnum]

No, they can't level up because they shouldn't be getting counted for experience division as it is.

They were temporary summons/mind controls that are a direct feature of your class.
They'd have to be a cohort to be able to level up. You should to talk to your DM and have him stop treating your undead as party members for XP sake.

[Slipperychicken]

IIRC, mindless creatures shouldn't get a share of the XP.

[Inevitability]

Can mindless creatures even get XP?
They can't take up character classes, so I'd say no.

[Coidzor]

There are no rules by which NPCs who are not Cohorts explicitly gain XP.

Mindless creatures really don't seem capable of gaining experience in any sense. There are no mechanisms by which they are allowed to increase their Undead hit die using experience or leveling. Mindless Undead just are what they're created to be.

So if your DM is giving them XP he's deep in homebrew territory and needs to have come clean with you back when you were first talking about animating undead in the first place.

If he's been looking at Pathfinder recently, he may have discovered the alternate XP advancement rates and put you all on the slow track instead of the normal track. I think there's also a fast track, making three total.

[Urpriest]

NPCs and Monsters in general don't gain XP, since many of them (all of your minions included) don't have Level Adjustments, so your DM would have had no way of calculating the XP if they were included.

Edit: Cohorts are an explicit exception.

[John Longarrow]

ebice82,
how is your 5th level Cleric controlling 32 HD of undead? Each ogre is 8 HD (zombie doubles racial HD) and the Centaurs are 4 each.

[Coidzor]

Animate Dead + Desecrate gives 4x CL. Cleric 5 gives CL 5. 5x4 = 20. Evil Domain gives +1 CL for evil spells, which covers RAW Animate Dead for 6*4 = 24 HD. So he just needs any 2 CL boosters to cover the 32 HD.

If he has the Deathbound domain that makes it 3xCL for Animate Dead, 6xCL for Animate Dead + Desecrate. 6*5 = 30, 6*6 = 36.

Not likely to have Deathbound as a cleric of Tiamat though.