Is There Other Ways To Earn Experience Points?

[Bartmanhomer]

Hey everybody. I got an interesting question to ask, is there any other ways to earn experience points without killing monsters?

[Graysire]

I think it depends on the DM, some DMs might give XP for roleplay or overcoming skill challenges, or even just getting certain milestones. Other Dms might just stick with, combat -> XP

[Venger]

Hey everybody. I got an interesting question to ask, is there any other ways to earn experience points without killing monsters?
Yeah, there are rules for ad hoc xp on page 39 of the DMG for things outside of combat.

[OldTrees1]

Hey everybody. I got an interesting question to ask, is there any other ways to earn experience points without killing monsters?

You don't get any xp from killing in D&D 3e/3.5. You get xp for overcoming encounters. But what counts as overcoming and what counts as an encounter is ultimately down to the DM.

[Starbuck_II]

You don't get any xp from killing in D&D 3e/3.5. You get xp for overcoming encounters. But what counts as overcoming and what counts as an encounter is ultimately down to the DM.

Exactly, it isn't killing the monsters that got you the exp.
What got you the XP was over coming the encounter: if you knocked the out, killed them, made peace with, or made the them flee you should get full XP.

[Kelb_Panthera]

You don't get any xp from killing in D&D 3e/3.5. You get xp for overcoming encounters. But what counts as overcoming and what counts as an encounter is ultimately down to the DM.
Exactly, it isn't killing the monsters that got you the exp.What got you the XP was over coming the encounter: if you knocked the out, killed them, made peace with, or made the them flee you should get full XP.

This. It's right in the DMG on page 36. The passage largely discusses defeating monsters in combat, since that's the most common type of encounter, but it does say that traps and other challenges also garner XP for the players if they overcome it and that killing them is hardly the only way to overcome challenges involving NPC foes.