Definition of overcoming an encounter

[gogogome]

1. Big bad group of powerful guys chase after and try to kill the party. It was a somewhat long chase, half the party died. Do the other party members get full XP for overcoming this encounter? Even though all they did was flee? The party's goal was to get through the dungeon, not survive this monstrous encounter, but it was an encounter, and they "overcame" it.

2. Big bad group of powerful guys capture and torture the party. Eventually the party escapes after a month with some amazing escape artist checks and spellcasting. Do they get full XP for overcoming this encounter? The party's goal was to get through the dungeon, not escape after getting captured.

3. 6 ambushers followed by 6 reinforcements. Party took out 4 of the ambushers, ran out of spells, and when the reinforcements arrived, they used invisibility potions and got out of there. Do they get full XP? Or just the ones they killed?

What if the big bad group of powerful guys were more than 8 CR higher than the player characters? What if it was less?

edit: added case #3.

[ZamielVanWeber]

1. As long as they did something to try to stymie their opposition's efforts to chase them, than yes. I award at least partial experience for being smart enough not to derp into every encounter; by default some are supposed to be way beyond what the party can handle.

2. The encounter was escaping the BBEGs, which they did successfully. Just because you did not initially plan for the encounter does not prevent it from being an encounter. If you plan for the party to negotiate with a dragon and they slay it instead would you refuse them experience because that wasn't what you had planned for them?

If they were that above/below the CR of the party then the only problem is challenges too far above/below your party level don't give exp. You do need to ask yourself why they were put in the party's way if they are that high and why your party failed if they were that low.'

As long as it was above, I would reward the party. Below I would ask myself where I or they went wrong and try to see if I can fix it.

[gogogome]

How would you determine partial XP?

For 1:
Similar to Undermountain, the party triggered a bunch of animated objects by doing something they shouldn't have, and half the party narrowly escaped death with a combination of withdraw actions and the barricade spell.

For 2:
The party decided to go into the dragon's cave against all of my advice. I had the nest of dragons capture them instead of killing them, and a month later, the rogue was able to get a 20 on her escape artist, unbound the party, and the sorcerer cast teleport.

Added case #3 in 1st post.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Partial exp is strictly up to the DM's purview; as far as I know there is no formula. I just calculate the total value of exp granted and slap on a %.

For the animated objects rack up their total CR, ask yourself "just how badly did they mess this up" and give them a fair percentage.

For the dragons it would be a problem of overcoming the bonds and escaping. Unless a dragon was actively stopping them I wouldn't give them credit for the dragons at all, just however hard it was to nail the Escape Artist check. It must have been massive if the rogue needed a 20 (remember skills don't autopass on a 20) so it seems like a decent encounter, but very few actual resources were expended (just a teleport slot). So maybe ECL-2 CR then a modifier on top of that (hard for me to say without knowing more, maybe 40%-60%?)