D&D General Should a low level character know to burn a troll?

[Guest 6801328]

I hope someday you play a good call off Cthulhu game with a good keeper. I had that feeling recently and I been playing for decades.

We're like junkies trying to replicate that original high, huh?

 

[Lanefan]

The default is 'no'. That said, depending on circumstance I might allow a single party-wide roll of some sort. But if the PCs don't know, they don't know; and it's up to the players to figure out how best to role-play that.

Re-working trolls and other iconic monsters really is the best answer, but not everyone has the time/willingness to do that.

And trolls, for all they show up in adventure modules, probably aren't that common a creature in most settings when you think about it.

 

[Xenonnonex]

If they have read Volo's Guide to Monsters the answer would be yes and no.

 

[Yardiff]

That’s great! If you think it’s fun to pretend to not know things, go for it.

The problems start when you start also role-playing other people’s characters, by telling them what their characters know.

(By the way, I also want to point out that in another thread I said that arguing this question is the true Essence of D&D.)

What in what I said gave you the impression that I would police someone else's characters?

 

[ccs]

I'd like to have voted "Maybe".
After all there's any # of things that might influence them knowing/not knowing. But those aren't consistent between groups or even from 1 campaign to the next.
Voting no would've been voting against possibilities. So I had to go with Yes.

And no, despite everyone having one of those players at their table, Player knowledge isn't always equal to their characters knowledge.

 

[Ratskinner]

I think my answer is: "It depends on the world/setting, and the character backgrounds in it."

That is...some folks in this thread are calling trolls common. But that's not necessarily true of all worlds.

However, this problem is why I like to make up new monsters, or completely re-skin old ones, when DMing for my experienced players.

 

[FarBeyondC]

Should any character (low level or otherwise) know to burn a troll?

Depends on how common and well known trolls are in the area/region/world in question.

Honestly, if I was trying to kill something (i.e. running away isn't an option) that mundane / standard weaponry is obviously not dealing with, fire would be my goto second option, if only because it's easily the most accessible option of any alternative options.

 

[Arnwolf666]

We're like junkies trying to replicate that original high, huh?

Yup. And I find that the less I know of the setting, monsters, and the spells the better.

 

[Guest 6801328]

What in what I said gave you the impression that I would police someone else's characters?

Ok, let me amend that...

The problems start when you people start also role-playing other people’s characters, by telling them what their characters know.

Is that better?

But I'll add that what you originally wrote:

I don't consider it avoiding meta game info, I consider it role playing my character.

has the language/tone of a sentiment commonly expressed by people who think there's only one kind of roleplaying, and it involves pretending to not know stuff. Those people, even if they aren't directly telling other people how to play, are definitely "policing" roleplaying.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Yup. And I find that the less I know of the setting, monsters, and the spells the better.

Agreed. Certainly pretending not to know doesn't do it. That's like pretending to not know whodunnit in a mystery novel so you can re-read it and still be surprised.