How do you run gaze attacks in your campaign?

[Jacob Marley]

Honestly, it depends on which of the monsters is being used. In the case of basilisks and the medusa, these are monsters that are likely to leave an obvious footprint on the surrounding environment. It is more likely that the party will encounter the petrified remains of the vicitms long before they encounter the actual monster. At this point the players would receive a knowledge (_____) check and (if successful) being given the relevent information about what could have caused this, and how. The party then can choose to act in which ever way they see fit.

With nymphs it is a little different. Nymphs are less likely to have an obvious footprint on their surrounding environment, nymphs are also less likely to be openly hostile to the party. In most cases encounters with nymphs will be peaceful. The party can make their knowledge (nature) checks and (if successful) will receive the appropriate information.
Nymphs rarely initiate combat.

Bodaks and umber hulks are the most likely to attack without any fair warning to the party. In these cases initiative order becomes very important. However, as bodaks are native to evil-aligned planes and umber hulks to the underdark it is the responsibility of the party to learn about the potential threats before they enter these places and then to act accordingly.

I am willing to give the players warning through the setting but it is the players' responsibility to make use of that information and tell me how they proceed.

 

[HoboGod]

I don't remind my players to make knowledge checks, I FORCE them to make knowledge checks. Pre-combat in my games comes with a series of dice rolls. Roll spot or listen checks opposed to monster's hide or move silently, roll specified knowledge checks if you have them, then roll initiative.

 

[airwalkrr]

Bodaks and umber hulks are the most likely to attack without any fair warning to the party. In these cases initiative order becomes very important. However, as bodaks are native to evil-aligned planes and umber hulks to the underdark it is the responsibility of the party to learn about the potential threats before they enter these places and then to act accordingly.

I am just curious here, but does this mean you only put bodaks in your game when the player characters are visiting an evil-aligned plane and only put umber hulks in your campaign when the players are in the Underdark?

I don't remind my players to make knowledge checks, I FORCE them to make knowledge checks. Pre-combat in my games comes with a series of dice rolls. Roll spot or listen checks opposed to monster's hide or move silently, roll specified knowledge checks if you have them, then roll initiative.

Seems like a lot of unnecessary complication to me. But this approach might work well with new players, or if the players like rolling a lot of dice.

 

[HoboGod]

Seems like a lot of unnecessary complication to me. But this approach might work well with new players, or if the players like rolling a lot of dice.

It actually works pretty well. It's a lot of dice rolling, but my players don't complain as high rolls give them advantages that would otherwise be given exclusively by my whim or not at all. Players want to roll high spot/listen checks so they can start combat without surprise rounds and at the furthest distance possible. Players want to roll high knowledge checks so they can exploit the weaknesses of their opponents. Players want to roll high initiatives so they can get all the advantages of first strike.

 

[airwalkrr]

It actually works pretty well. It's a lot of dice rolling, but my players don't complain as high rolls give them advantages that would otherwise be given exclusively by my whim or not at all. Players want to roll high spot/listen checks so they can start combat without surprise rounds and at the furthest distance possible. Players want to roll high knowledge checks so they can exploit the weaknesses of their opponents. Players want to roll high initiatives so they can get all the advantages of first strike.

At least with one of my groups, the players seem mostly just interested in winning initiative and beating the monsters down as soon as possible by whatever means seem most expedient at the time. They are not all too concerned about strategy. They'd probably wince at slowing the game down to make a bunch of rolls before every battle. But if it works for you and your players, who am I to judge? It is an interesting way to do things.

 

[Jacob Marley]

I am just curious here, but does this mean you only put bodaks in your game when the player characters are visiting an evil-aligned plane and only put umber hulks in your campaign when the players are in the Underdark?

Generally, yes. But not 100%. I've used a bodak once outside of an evil-aligned plane. In that particular case the PCs were well aware that a bodak had formed from a fallen comrade. I cannot recall ever using an umber hulk outside of the Underdark, however.

To be fair, I don't really find bodaks all that interesting anyways.