D&D 5E player knowlege vs character knowlege (spoiler)

[Seramus]

That wouldn’t work at my game because of the “clouded mirror” principle.

Clouded Mirror is a fun way to play (using your term), but I would count that as policing what characters do and think. Kind of a hybrid metagame, I suppose?

 

[Guest 6801328]

Oh, and one of my favorite stories about rogues scouting out ahead. I was DMing short scenarios for my nephew (12 at the time) and my son (5 at the time). My son was playing a rogue, and his cousin told him to scout ahead down the pitch-black tunnel. Naturally his cousin listened eagerly, even though he wasn't "there". As he got to the part where the sides of the tunnel fell away, and he could tell by the echoes and air currents that he must be a vast cavern, the cousin blurted out excited, "What do you find?"

As I was gathering my thoughts to start describing it, my son jumped in and started describing a cave with spears and shields hanging on the walls. He had no idea this was typically the DMs job; he assumed that his cousin's question meant he was supposed to start describing it.

What a bunch of dirty metagamers.

No...wait. What I meant to say was that it was awesome. I did intervene, and explain that the room was so dark that he couldn't see the walls, but of course after they fought the dragon and its kobold minions and started exploring with a light source, they found...spears and shields on the walls. Of course.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Clouded Mirror is a fun way to play (using your term), but I would count that as policing what characters do and think. Kind of a hybrid metagame, I suppose?

How?

 

[Seramus]

How?

If the players talking translates into the characters talking (though not using the same exact words), then that means the characters are taking actions even if the player doesn't want them to.

 

[Maxperson]

Oh, and one of my favorite stories about rogues scouting out ahead. I was DMing short scenarios for my nephew (12 at the time) and my son (5 at the time). My son was playing a rogue, and his cousin told him to scout ahead down the pitch-black tunnel. Naturally his cousin listened eagerly, even though he wasn't "there". As he got to the part where the sides of the tunnel fell away, and he could tell by the echoes and air currents that he must be a vast cavern, the cousin blurted out excited, "What do you find?"

As I was gathering my thoughts to start describing it, my son jumped in and started describing a cave with spears and shields hanging on the walls. He had no idea this was typically the DMs job; he assumed that his cousin's question meant he was supposed to start describing it.

What a bunch of dirty metagamers.

That's............not metagaming. Cool, but not metagaming.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes, you keep using those words. But you, Max, are the one making the judgment. "No in-character reason" is a metagame viewpoint. So the only conclusion I can possibly reach is that you are already out-of-character.

Um, your argument means that nothing can ever be in-character, because since you always know that you are in-character, you are always out of character, which is complete bunk.

 

[Charlaquin]

Clouded Mirror is a fun way to play (using your term), but I would count that as policing what characters do and think. Kind of a hybrid metagame, I suppose?

I wouldn’t say it’s policing what they do or think at all. That’s still up to the players.

 

[Charlaquin]

If the players talking translates into the characters talking (though not using the same exact words), then that means the characters are taking actions even if the player doesn't want them to.

If they don’t want their characters to do/say something they can just not say it.

 

[Seramus]

If they don’t want their characters to do/say something they can just not say it.

Policing the players directly?

 

[Guest 6801328]

Policing the players directly?

What? I can’t tell if you’re confused or just trying to...something.