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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 3039864" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>A few stray thoughts wandering by about all this...</p><p></p><p>1. Physics. It's just plain easier to assume that basic physics, gravity, geology, etc. work the same in the game world as on earth (unless there's house-rules otherwise), with magic kind of overlaid on top. That way, if people want to spend the time to figure out such things there's a useable basis to work from. Players will know more than their PC's about such things in almost all circumstances, but I can live with that.</p><p></p><p>2. Table talk. If players are making suggestions they shouldn't be...e.g. when a Thief has gone off scouting and got into trouble and other players won't shut up and let the Thief's player decide what to do...there's one hammer that I as DM have occasionally used: that if a suggestion comes from someone else, that course of action is arbitrarily banned. And if that's the action that would have saved the Thief's life, so be it... ::shrug:: But the table-talk stops real fast! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>3. Knowledge. This comes under what I call "preserving the mystery". An example: when the game was new and we didn't know what a Troll was, never mind that it regenerates unless you burn it or bathe it in acid, there was a mystery there. But over time, we as players have learned, and it's very difficult to keep that knowledge out of our PC's heads. And so it falls to the DM to re-create that mystery by in effect rewriting the monster manual. For basic critters, even a simple renaming will do. For others (like Trolls) it may require changing them up somehow...maybe make cold their weak point instead of fire. Iconics, like Dragons, I'd keep as is; the PC's will have heard enough legends etc. that their having some knowledge makes sense. But, most importantly: <strong><em>don't tell the players you've made any changes!</em></strong> And if, when things go awry, they complain that monsters don't work as they "should", tell 'em to keep their nosy noses out of the MM because neither they nor their PC's "should" know anything (that's why they're called *experience* points; they come from learning), and get on with the game.</p><p></p><p>4. In-combat tactics discussions on the fly. I have no problem with this, though as others have pointed out if the opposition can understand you they might react appropriately. Having a telepath in the party is invaluable in such situations... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Lanefan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 3039864, member: 29398"] A few stray thoughts wandering by about all this... 1. Physics. It's just plain easier to assume that basic physics, gravity, geology, etc. work the same in the game world as on earth (unless there's house-rules otherwise), with magic kind of overlaid on top. That way, if people want to spend the time to figure out such things there's a useable basis to work from. Players will know more than their PC's about such things in almost all circumstances, but I can live with that. 2. Table talk. If players are making suggestions they shouldn't be...e.g. when a Thief has gone off scouting and got into trouble and other players won't shut up and let the Thief's player decide what to do...there's one hammer that I as DM have occasionally used: that if a suggestion comes from someone else, that course of action is arbitrarily banned. And if that's the action that would have saved the Thief's life, so be it... ::shrug:: But the table-talk stops real fast! :) 3. Knowledge. This comes under what I call "preserving the mystery". An example: when the game was new and we didn't know what a Troll was, never mind that it regenerates unless you burn it or bathe it in acid, there was a mystery there. But over time, we as players have learned, and it's very difficult to keep that knowledge out of our PC's heads. And so it falls to the DM to re-create that mystery by in effect rewriting the monster manual. For basic critters, even a simple renaming will do. For others (like Trolls) it may require changing them up somehow...maybe make cold their weak point instead of fire. Iconics, like Dragons, I'd keep as is; the PC's will have heard enough legends etc. that their having some knowledge makes sense. But, most importantly: [B][I]don't tell the players you've made any changes![/I][/B] And if, when things go awry, they complain that monsters don't work as they "should", tell 'em to keep their nosy noses out of the MM because neither they nor their PC's "should" know anything (that's why they're called *experience* points; they come from learning), and get on with the game. 4. In-combat tactics discussions on the fly. I have no problem with this, though as others have pointed out if the opposition can understand you they might react appropriately. Having a telepath in the party is invaluable in such situations... :) Lanefan [/QUOTE]
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