Is it a set amount per battle split up equally to your characters?

Or does each member get a set amount after battle regardless of how many party members you have?

I ask because I'm at my 2nd opportunity in CotAB to gain NPC's. I am afraid if I take them it will reduce the amount of XP I get for the boss battle right after them.


I'm used to Temple of Elemental Evil, where you will get more xp the less characters you have - but I know these are older rules.

Thanks

It's worth noting a few other things:

If you have a character run before ending the battle, that character won't get a share of the XP. This is useful if you want to distribute experience points differently (for example, if one character is already maxed out).

Also, each game has level caps for each class, and once they have been reached, you can't level up any more. (This means if you do get extra XP, the benefit will be only temporary unless you're playing the last game in the series.) If you plan on transferring to the next game, having enough experience for 2 extra levels can help (but isn't necessary), while having any more is wasted because of the rule that you can't gain more than one level at once.

Also, don't dual class at the beginning of the second game; wait at least until you've found a spot to train after the plot starts for real. (I think this may also be true in the fourth game in the series as well.)

How are they "tedious lectures"? I find it interesting to learn how the games work and how they can be exploited.

Also, not every exploit is easy to pull off. For example, accessing Modify Character with a dual class character in Pools of Darkness (without using a cheat that apparently exists) requires that the character have exactly 1,500,001 experience and not a single point more (or less). (The easiest method I can think of has the downside that it makes you lose experience, as it turns out.)

Thanks. I was hoping the series was old enough that each character got a set amount per battle, instead of a total win amount that is divided up (like later DnD games).

But I already took that Amazon chick and Lizardman guy with me and barely beat the boss fight without a member dying, so I'll just live with it - but from now on I'm only keeping my party of 6, no more NPC's. They weren't any help anyway - almost all their arrows missed.

Thanks for the above as well, but I won't be using any exploits. Although, if my mage and cleric get enough xp to gain 2 levels at start of Secret .... it IS very tempting to try having them flee at the end of battle (I assume you can do it after you defeat the enemy and select "yes" to continue battle?) so that my 3 fighters and Ranger get a higher amount - fighters need a ton of xp if I want them to start Secret gaining 2 levels ...

Eh .... not sure

At this point, you need to decide what you consider to be an exploit and what you don't.

Is having characters run away so they can give their allies an exploit?

Is it an exploit to remove a character at the training hall, play through part of the game with a smaller party, and then add the character back?

Those are decisions that you have to make for yourself.

By the way, the optimal party changes throughout the series. A level 17 Ranger/Mage dual class is optimal for Pools of Darkness (if you get enough experience, of course) but is not an option earlier. Similarly, a level 9 Ranger/Cleric is optimal in Curse, but in Secret the character won't be as good as a level 14 Ranger/Cleric. Of course, there is also the issue of downtime with dual classes and (especially in Secret) maybe Ranger isn't the best starting class.

Again, only you can make these decisions during your playthrough.