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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6821916" data-attributes="member: 4937">You are looking at this wrong.  And the wizard's player probably is as well.Do you tell the wizard the color of every shirt he sees in town?  Do you tell him the color of every store front, or even the name of every store front?  No, of course not.  That's information overkill.  You only pass to him pertinent information; things that stand out and catch his eye.  If magic is so prevalent that it's slowing down play telling him he sees magic, then you are giving him tons of information he really doesn't need and which don't impact the game at all.  Why can't you just come to an agreement that you'll only discuss information that would stand out as relevant, such as in stressful situations, unusually brilliant auras (hinting at an NPCs importance), and so forth.   You'd no more describe every aura in a fantasy cosmopolitan city than you'd describe every neon sign and street lamp that was passed in a modern metropolis when playing a supers game.  Only describe the 'signs' when they are pertinent to the plot or the PC goals.  As for the secret information and note passing, again, that sounds more like player ego talking than any real game need.  Unless he's plotting against the party or its something that seriously takes the party by surprise and its important to RP out, who cares?  Trust the other players not to metagame and leave it at that.  The note passing of trivial information has to stop.   And if he is plotting against the party, you've got a more serious breach of social contract going on that needs to be addressed.Wait... what????  So, in the real world, do shop owners hide the fact that they have security systems, security cameras, and alarms?  Do malls hide the fact that they have security on staff, and often police officers dedicated to patrolling the mall during store hours?  Of course not!  They advertise these facts!  They want everyone to know!  They put signs on the doors saying, "Everything you do will be recorded."  They have the police officers stand at the entrances.   They want everyone to know just how secure their establishment is.  Beyond that, this is a 14th level wizard.  He's one of the most powerful spellcasters in the whole region.  He's probably famous (or infamous).  Not a lot of people go around with glowing eyes and similar wizardly paraphernalia.  He has stature.  Why in the world would some shop keeper want to risk offending this guy?   On the contrary, it's more like, "I'm Wizard Shepherd and this is my favorite store in New Haven."  This is a rich and potentially important customer, not some random sellsword, a mere potential shoplifter, or journeyman conjurer.  Who gives a flip if he can see your wards and protections?   It's not like you could thwart this guys will anyway, so why get all upset?  Much better to remember, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger!"   By 14th level, your PC's ought to be treated with some sort of respect by the community - if only abject quivering terror and falling on their knees, "Please don't turn me into anything unnatural my lord."  Why the heck would a 1st or 4th level commoner or even the rare 9th level expert dare object to what someone that can cast 7th level spells does?  Part of your problem sounds like you are still trying to maintain control of your PCs.  Is that because they are acting like anti-social freaks??  If so, it's not some random shopkeepers problem, nor his responsibility to bring such infamous villains to justice.Presumably a society that actually has magic has evolved social norms and manners involving magic.  This isn't the first 14th level spellcaster that has ever existed.  Don't have your world act like it is.   Presumably the world has evolved a society that incorporates the idea of wizards into it in a functional manner.Why are you trying to thwart it?  Why are you trying to suppress your player?  Of course problems and challenges that players faced at lower levels are trivial issues at higher levels!  You aren't whining about the fact that you can't challenge the party with 1HD goblins are you?   You are going to have to up your game and force the party to deal with situations that are challenging to 14th level characters.  It sounds to me that you are new to high level play and you are struggling to keep up since the old bag of tricks like simple illusions and the like doesn't work.  This is sort of like complaining you can't run a murder mystery because the party can now just raise dead.  Yes, so mere assassins with no more resources than to garrot someone are now no longer problems worthy of your PCs.  The problem isn't that you can't run a murder mystery; the problem is you are sending villains with too few resources and too little creativity against superheroes.   It's like complaining that random burglars are no longer a real challenge for Batman or Superman.  You've got to up your game here.Good grief, are you trying to annoy him to tedium?  Embrace the superpowers.  It's no longer a challenge for him to see.  Make the challenge him understanding.   It's no longer a challenge for him to see.  Stop trying to make that a challenge.  Invisible creatures are big deal for 5th level PCs - not 14th level ones.  It's expected that by this point pit traps, invisible creatures, and illusionary walls aren't hard problems.  Give him villains that act at a distance through charmed minions and simulacrums and gated in outsiders.  Change the way you play.  Everything you do has to step up to the challenge.  Let the PC reveal in his ability.  Stop trying to suppress it.  You are the DM.  You have infinite resources to provide the BBEG.   Step into the mastermind role use your creativity and get out of this tedious petty adversarial stance.  It's time to start making the game epic.</blockquote>

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