Determine EXP value of NPC?

[nwelte1]

Say I have a level 3 human fighter npc. How do I determine his exp value if he is slain? Do I use the exp chart in the M&T and count each class/race ability as a "Special I" ability? This seems to lead to some absurd results. I.E. a level 1 halfking assassin would be worth a ton while a level 1 human fighter hardly worth anything.

[Traveller]

In my calculations, there is one major assumption to keep in mind: class trumps race. In other words, racial abilities are not figured into XP calculations. The only thing that matters is the NPC's class, level and his hit points. The class is important to discover what specials should be assigned, but even more important are the NPC's level and hit points. Level is important because level directly affects the XP award, as each level is equivalent to a hit die. Hit points affects the XP award because you would award +x XP per hit point.

Going off that assumption, the third level fighter doesn't have any special abilities in relation to type I-III specials, so his xp would be 20XP +3XP per hit point.

For a level 1 halfling assassin, they get a type III special (death attack) and that's it. So their xp would be 10XP + 1XP per hit point (5XP base + 5XP for the type III special).
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[nwelte1]

I was doing it as you suggest but I thought all class abilities were unique and thus falling with in the perview of the definition of Special I.

"Special I: This category includes three or more attacks per round, spell usa of 1st-3rd level (or equivalent spell-like abilities), and unique abilities such as tracking, hiding, or back attacks." PHB 3rd, p. 6.

You method would reduce the exp bloat. But still seems way out of whack from what I would expect.

[Traveller]

Would the PCs facing off with a fighter NPC know what class the NPC is simply by what weapon the NPC is using? How is weapon specialization distinctive enough to clue the PCs that this is a fighter they are facing? This in my view is the litmus test for an abilities' distinctiveness (uniqueness): if it's an ability whose use gives away the fact that it's a specific class, it gets the special.

Things like Weapon Specialization do not qualify to be a special because although only a fighter gets it, for all the PCs know it could be a paladin, barbarian, or knight, all of which have no limitations on the weapon they can use. Turn undead doesn't qualify because both a cleric and paladin can use it. Monkish unarmed attacks don't qualify because anyone can use their bare hands and simulate a knife chop to the throat (the monk is trained to do it).

Spell use is an exception to this, because it is noted in the RAW that spell use gets a special, even though four different classes can use spells.

Here's a list of what I feel are distinctive abilities for each class:

Fighter: Combat Dominance (type I until 8th level, then type II)

Ranger: Tracking (type I)

Rogue: Back Attack (type I), Hide (type I)

Assassin: Death Attack (type III), Hide (type I)

Barbarian: Primal Fury (type I)

Monk: Deflect Missiles (type I), Quivering Palm (type III)

Wizard: Spell Use (type I until 7th level, type II until 15th level, type III thereafter)

Illusionist: Spell Use (like Wizard)

Cleric: Spell Use (like Wizard)

Druid: Spell Use (like Wizard)

Knight: Horsemanship (type I)

Paladin: Divine Aura (type I)

Bard: Exalt (type I)

This is just my (quick) view on things. I'm sure that the CKG, when it's published, will go into greater detail, and quite likely contradict what I posted here. At the same time, keep in mind one thing: the XP costs here aren't terribly out of line (at least in the limited amount of comparison I've done) with what AD&D would give out for the same NPC.
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[serleran]

Racial abilities are considerations if such things would warrant a Type; this typically means all playable PHB races receive nothing special XP-wise when calculating their "value," but might if the NPC were something different, such as a monster (ie, giant, fey, and so on.) In a case like this, the usual XP award for the creature is awarded, and then a bonus for class-based abilities, broken down into Types. Traveller's list is decent (I would modify it, myself) as a start.

This is one reason, amongst others, that spellcasting humanoids (ie, orcs, kobolds, etc) were given a flat award per spell -- it made it far easier.

[Traveller]

How would you modify the list?
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[serleran]

Something more like this (off the top of my head):

Fighter -- Combat Dominance (Type I); Extra Attack (Type II)

Ranger -- Combat Maraudar (Type II); Tracking (Type I)

Rogue -- Back Attack (Type II); Sneak Attack (Type II); Traps (Type I)l Scroll Use (Type I)

Assassin -- Case Target (Type I); Poisons (Type I); Death Attack (Type III)

and so on and so forth... obviously, only abilities actually used would apply toward XP awards.

[Treebore]

One thing that helps with the bloat, and is something Serleran has said before, only give XP's for abilities actually used in the encounter. That will "balance" such discrepancies a good bit.

Especially with spell casters. Award XP's for every spell a 10th level mage could cast and your talking 1,000's of XP's as an award. XP's only for the spells/potions/etc... actually used brings the XP award in line.
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