DMs: How Do You Clue Players In That...

[S'mon]

In 4e monster knowledge checks are also an easy way to drive the message home. Either they roll exceedingly well, so you can just tell them that they believe their opposition may be too tough to take on (yet), or you can tell them they have no idea what the heck they're facing...

I've come to the opinion that for 4e a successful monster knowledge check should typically give the PCs a ballpark idea of monster power; which Tier a typical monster of that type is, and whether it's Low, Mid or High within that Tier. Eg Low Heroic 1-4, Heroic 4-7, High Heroic 7-10. I think that is not too metagamey, and is better than "You can/can't beat this monster" which should always be up to the players to judge, and varies a lot by group - eg some groups will lose to an L+5 Solo, some will find it a tough fight, some will squelch it quite easily.

Eg the typical Orc is 3rd-4th level, so Low Heroic. The typical Gnoll is 5th-6th level, so Heroic. The typical Ogre is 6th-8th level, so Heroic to High Heroic.

 

[baradtgnome]

In an adventure path, milieu, or whatever, the sooner you give your players an encounter much higher than would normally be expected for them to defeat the sooner they will lose the expectation every encounter can be defeated. Of course you need to put those out there periodically for it to stick.

It is a bit unfair for a DM to consistently provide 'balanced' encounters and then be surprised the players expected a balanced encounter and didn't look too hard at the clues it might be otherwise.

I'm making no comment on whether encounters should be balanced or not. Just saying we are creatures of habit.

 

[Rhenny]

If history, knowledge checks, with nasty descriptions and horrible rumors don't work, sometimes I try other medium. For example, before the group encounters the creature(s), the group may see artwork depicting the creature(s) mauling victims - maybe it is woven into a tapestry, or painted on a vase or canvas painting.

I also have (on occasion) put an NPC in harms way killing him or her outright. Sometimes, the NPC stands valiantly up to the creature and yells to the others "fly, you fools." (The Gandolf Method) Other times, the NPC is just in the wrong place at the wrong time and he or she gets squashed or swarmed or ripped to shreds. (The Star Trek Red Shirt Method)

 

[Gold Roger]

So, a few years back in a 3.5 my players investigated some ruins besides their intended path, despite some ominous "this is a bad idea" signs. There they ran into an entire tribe of athach (huge three armed mutant giants).

They where level 3 or maybe only 2.

I outright told them there's no such thing as fighting those things, instead we ran a series of free form skill checks (in a way, a skill challenge) to get away.

PC's sneaked, hid in holes to tiny for the monsters big hands, used some creative distractions and in the end the last stragglers not yet safe climbed over one of the beasts arms and body.

Everyone was battered and shaken, but none died, and the PC's had a place they might return to later (though sadly the campaign died before we got to that).

That way of doing things may not work for every group. But it worked out great for us. I'd use the same solution, should the need arise, again in a heartbeat.

 

[malcolypse]

"He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!"

If they don't pick up on me falling into a Scottish accent and quoting Monty Python, clearly their time on this Earth was at it's end anyway.

 

[Rogue Agent]

"You can't survive this monster"?

The problem has two ultimate sources:

(1) DMs who create the expectation that all encounters will be "level appropriate" and then try to shift things up.

(2) The lack of a decent game structure for retreating. (This has been missing from D&D since at least 1989, IIRC.)

 

[Lwaxy]

Well when I tried to do that before the players figured out some bizarre means of killing the damn thing anyway...

Especially when it is meant to act as a "bridge troll" to make them go elsewhere.

 

[NN]

Why not just tell em'

'er, this is plot, yous arent meant to fight it'

better to interrupt your game with 3 seconds of straightforward metagame direction than spoil it with cheezy in-game 'clues'

 

[howandwhy99]

"Having grabbed you he now begins to tie you up."

 

[TarionzCousin]

Once, my players declined to take the none-too-subtle hint (loud breathing, something huge moving around, a couple rooms of gnawed bones, etc.) that whatever was on the other side of this particular door was too tough for them. So when the fighter moved his miniature up to the door, I put my finger on the other side, held back by my thumb--like I was going to flick his mini away when he opened the door.

Then I said "Do you open the door?"

He moved his figure away and said "On second thought, I don't want to go in there."