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<blockquote data-quote="Aberzanzorax" data-source="post: 5953479" data-attributes="member: 64209">This is an excellent point, and I do usually use this (not yet having the mechanic I'm proposing/requesting). I'd still continue to do this as much as possible. However, there are not always opportunities to do this. In random encounters it's quite difficult, for example (not that I'm a huge fan of those). Also there can be &quot;scripted&quot; encounters where the players are ambushed by a monster. Should they always run? Why not? If they don't know if it is a major threat or a pansy, and if the dm isn't a &quot;the encounter will always be at your level, never far below, never far above&quot; type of dm...then they need to figure it out somehow (dying being one option).&nbsp;&nbsp;Sure, or you could be facing a tiny unknown beast...a floating skull/head (demilich, flaming skull, peneggalan, vargouille?). In one round of whacking the pc might well be dead if a demilich rather than a vargouille. &nbsp;The problem with &quot;a few wacks to test&quot; is that 1. it commits the player to engaging it (making retreat sometimes impossible) 2. either combat can be quickly deadly (making &quot;a few wacks to test&quot; not a feasible way of testing) or 3. we give monsters a ton of hit points and have them do lower damage (and then combat becomes very long and grindy).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Aberzanzorax, post: 5953479, member: 64209"] This is an excellent point, and I do usually use this (not yet having the mechanic I'm proposing/requesting). I'd still continue to do this as much as possible. However, there are not always opportunities to do this. In random encounters it's quite difficult, for example (not that I'm a huge fan of those). Also there can be "scripted" encounters where the players are ambushed by a monster. Should they always run? Why not? If they don't know if it is a major threat or a pansy, and if the dm isn't a "the encounter will always be at your level, never far below, never far above" type of dm...then they need to figure it out somehow (dying being one option). Sure, or you could be facing a tiny unknown beast...a floating skull/head (demilich, flaming skull, peneggalan, vargouille?). In one round of whacking the pc might well be dead if a demilich rather than a vargouille. The problem with "a few wacks to test" is that 1. it commits the player to engaging it (making retreat sometimes impossible) 2. either combat can be quickly deadly (making "a few wacks to test" not a feasible way of testing) or 3. we give monsters a ton of hit points and have them do lower damage (and then combat becomes very long and grindy). [/QUOTE]

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