How to explain Monsters new abilities to the PCs

[vladbat]

I have GMed before in World of Darkness but am stepping into the DM shoes for the first time in 4e.
While talking to my current DM today we got into a bit of an argument about how to explain a monsters abilities to the characters. I have run two 4e lite adventures, Oakhurst and Second Son with him as a PC.
He felt it would lead to player frustration if the DM wasn't explicit as to when a monster was using an ability. An example of this would be when Hobgoblins use their Phalanx exploit to gain +2 ac while next to an ally. I described it as "You swing incredibly accurately, sure you have penetrated the Hobgoblins defense, but as you slip inside his guard the Hobgoblin next to him shifts his shield slightly, causing you to miss."
While i could see a player may take that to mean Hob#2 used a shield counter or some type of similar exploit, but it seems clear to me Hob#1 got a benefit from being next to his ally.
My buddies argument was that his lvl one PC would be smarter at recognizing a military exploit then a player would be. I was thinking "Your level one and coming out of a PoL where you haven't seen hobgoblin before. The next time you might recognize this better."
The point isn't to cheat the player of information, just to limit it to in-game kind of explanations. If a player asked me a direct question (Them:How did he do that? That's a spell and I have silence up! Me: Supernatural ability, he can do it,) I would tell them specifically.
Are he and I arguing semantics or does it make a huge difference?

 

[PrecociousApprentice]

Exploits are gamist constructs. As such, they do not need to be explicitly described. Do you have to tell him how many HP the hobos have? Of course not. Exploits fall under the same umbrella. That is, unless he has something that is triggered by them. Then you kinda have to tell him when it triggers. The explanation that the hobos phalanx makes it harder to hit them is all that he needs.

 

[beholdsa]

I think the way you ran that--at least according to your description--is a good way.

 

[Scribble]

If you need to explain it, then just make sure the person using the power does the action.

In the example above, the one hobgoblin used the power, which gives him the +2 bionus, so he probably used his buddy for cover in some way. (Instead of his friend throwing the shield up to cover him, he just jumped behind his allies shield, whether his ally invited him or not...)

Had it said using this ability you bestow an ally with a +2 bonus to AC... then you could say the person suing the power throws his shield up to cover his ally...

 

[Dragonblade]

I think you ran it just fine. Just describe it with flavor and not even mention there is an ability behind it unless the players really just have to know. I would explain up front you will DM this way, though. That way they know your flavor is always backed up by mechanics.

And honestly, even if its not, who cares. You're the DM and as long as everyone has a good time it doesn't really matter.

 

[mmu1]

I disagree with the general tenor of the advice so far.

Unless the effect is simply not visible to the naked eye or impossible to predict given the circumstances, give the players as much information on what the enemies are doing and how it affects the combat and the environment as possible - because over the course of a campaign, no matter how sharp a DM you are, you'll still only be providing the players with only a tiny fraction of the information their PCs have available to them.

In addition, while I'm not saying you should neglect colorful descriptions, give the players the actual numbers - bonuses/penalties, DCs, etc. - as often as possible without ruining immersion or letting them know things they'd have no way knowing about, because one of the worst things you can do is assume that your verbal description of a challenge means the same exact thing to the players as it does to you. Avoiding ambiguity is IMO much more important than keeping all the explanations in-game.

 

[Korgoth]

My 4E style would be as follows:

- Don't tell them the AC of the target
- Don't tell them the Hit Points of the target
- Don't tell them the exact mechanics of an enemy ability
- Don't tell them if the NPC is a Minion

- Do tell them if the target has a high quality of armor, iron scales on its hide, etc.
- Do tell them whether the target looks like it's still vital, winded, "bloodied" or faltering
- Do tell them in general what the enemy is doing (your phalanx example is good for that)
- Do tell them when the enemy expires! (and if you ask them to roll damage after they hit, they'll know it ain't no Minion)

So I think you're in good shape.

 

[Terwox]

I agree with the player, to an extent.

You should describe that the hobgoblins are moving in tight formation covering each other before he swings, not after. If he misses because of phalanx, describing it as you did is good as well.

I see this as somewhat similar to not telling the players that the monster they are fighting has higher ground, and thus combat advantage. It is obvious to the character before they swing that the person is on higher ground -- and a phalanx formation is obvious as well.

(I have not read the phalanx power. It's also hard to represent fighting nearly shoulder to shoulder in 5' squares...)

 

[ThirdWizard]

PCs have pushing abilities for a reason. The players should know when they're useful.

I say do both. Describe it and note that the monsters get a bonus for being near each other. You don't have to say how much, but give them a concept of what is going on. Tactics are important in 4e and that's part of the fun.

 

[Andur]

Why are your players living long enough to swing at your monsters anyway?

I think the description is just fine, I also think it doesn't make a hill of beans if the players know what happened or not. If they ask OOC then tell them, its not like they can't look it up in the books anyway. I also find it useful to do "after action reports" with the players. Let them discuss what worked, what didn't, and then I help explain why with the info on my side of the DM screen.