Wondering waht other DMs do...

[HealingAura]

We have just started playing yesterday and I had the same situation.
They were 3 characters against my 3 goblin cutters (minions) and 3 goblin blackblades (non-minion). I looked at the goblin cutters equipment and said they are wearing leather armor and holding short swords in their hands. Then I did the same for the goblin blackblades but they also use the same equipment, so I also told the players that the 3 other goblins have small decorations on their clothes that the first 3 don't. It was too easy to find out which of them are minions and which are not just because the minions died the first time they got hit by the characters.

I also found the goblin lore part of combat funny, because the Dwarf Fighter is a goblin hunter and he even has a goblin skull attached to his long black beard, but still got a 1 on the nature check for the goblin lore.

 

[Blackbrrd]

I say that some of the monsters look scruffy, crappy, scared, etc.. They will be minions.

I describe some monsters as big and tough. They are either elites or higher level than the players.

Some monsters, like dragons usually don't need that kind of description, but then I will describe, if the players ask, that the monster looks agile, has good armor, etc. This way the players can avoid targeting the creatures best defense.

 

[Krensus]

I don't tell the players which are minions and which are normal, but I represent them differently on the board. I use like little guy figurines for the minions, these medium coiled up snakes for the normals, and usually a special figure for the main guy. After the first round of combat when the party has attacked the mobs, I genuinely allow them to ask if X mob is a minion or not.

 

[StarFyre]

nope

I don't tell them...

Sanjay

 

[Ravingdork]

We have just started playing yesterday and I had the same situation.
They were 3 characters against my 3 goblin cutters (minions) and 3 goblin blackblades (non-minion). I looked at the goblin cutters equipment and said they are wearing leather armor and holding short swords in their hands. Then I did the same for the goblin blackblades but they also use the same equipment, so I also told the players that the 3 other goblins have small decorations on their clothes that the first 3 don't. It was too easy to find out which of them are minions and which are not just because the minions died the first time they got hit by the characters.

I also found the goblin lore part of combat funny, because the Dwarf Fighter is a goblin hunter and he even has a goblin skull attached to his long black beard, but still got a 1 on the nature check for the goblin lore.

It's easy even when the minions and main threat have the same equipment. Simply describe the minions' equipment as being old, rusty, or subpar in some way, while the real threats' equipment is much newer, well-kept, etc.

 

[Mouseferatu]

For me, it's entirely circumstantial.

If it's a situation where I feel the minions would look different--either in terms of physical appearance, equipment quality, or what have you--then I'll mention that in the description.

But if it's a situation where I don't think there would be a visible different (if there's no good reason for the minions' equipment to be sub-par, for instance), then no, I don't tell them, and they get to find out in combat.

In no case would I use the terms "minion" or "elite" while giving descriptions.

 

[Griogre]

For me, it's entirely circumstantial.

If it's a situation where I feel the minions would look different--either in terms of physical appearance, equipment quality, or what have you--then I'll mention that in the description.

But if it's a situation where I don't think there would be a visible different (if there's no good reason for the minions' equipment to be sub-par, for instance), then no, I don't tell them, and they get to find out in combat.

In no case would I use the terms "minion" or "elite" while giving descriptions.

QFT. I haven't run 4th that much but usually even if the minions look the same as a non minion, and often they don't, after a few rounds its pretty obvious which monsters are the mean ones.

While I and my group are still learning the ins and outs of 4e I'm trying to run KotS as close to core as possible (so I'll know the implications if/when I do change stuff) and I found what the DMG had to say about this subject in the sidebar pg 54 interesting:

TIPS FROM THE PROS
Some encounters make it easy to single out targets for particularly deadly attacks. They have identifiable leaders or significant threats that make great targets for daily powers or concentrated damage from the party's strikers. Other consist of similar creatures, with no obvious leader. Include a mix of both kinds of encoutners in your adventures. The two kinds of encounters appeal to different kinds of classes - strikers like clear-cut targets encounters while controllers love mobs - and encourage different tactics.

 

[Griogre]

Why doesn't edit work? Hit enter too soon.

I was going to conclude that for what it's worth James Wyatt doesn't think you should tell the players the monsters are different if they look the same.

 

[fba827]

My DM doesn't tell us, exactly. Though, usually, the elite has some visual charactertistics that define him as seperate such as larger weapons, or larger size, or 'more menacing' or better armored, etc. or just shouting orders about.

However, in a given situation where the elite looked exactly the same as the others, I imagine our DM would not tell us anything to differentiate him from the others.

As a player, I like it that way. Visually you can usually tell (or by the circusmtance of what he/she is doind), but if you can't then I don't think I should know the difference.

 

[ValhallaGH]

They'll figure it out pretty quickly. Make them pay attention and try.