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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bill Zebub" data-source="post: 8758396" data-attributes="member: 7031982">Take the example of the Lich upthread: what visual/behavioral cue tips you off to not go for a Con save?Or dragons: if you haven't read the MM, what clue would suggest they are weaker at one save than another?I agree that low-level monsters tend to broadcast their strengths and weaknesses, but we're talking about Tier IV, when Wizards are supposedly so much better than Fighters.  And I don't think demigod-like abyssals and aberrations and other exotic adversaries are going to broadcast their weaknesses.  That frail old crone might have a Strength of 22.  That shambling pile of rocks might be a high-level caster (or caster equivalent...they aren't actually casters anymore, right?).  That unwieldy blob of goo might have lightning fast reflexes.After a few rounds of combat, sure, maybe some of these things become more apparent.And I think DMs should be trying to challenge players at that stage in the game by creating adversaries with non-obvious weaknesses.  I don't think anybody would disagree that it's not just fair, but fun and part of the game, to create terrain that challenges the melee types to do something other than close and stab, and prevents the archers from hiding between easy shots.  A similar thing should be done for the casters.  You don't need to withhold "obvious and relevant information", you just have to make the relevant information non-obvious.  That doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be completely opaque, or a 1/6 chance of getting it right.  But 90%?  That's just handing casters an unnecessary gift.</blockquote>

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