Auras and Player Knowledge

[Thrael]

The creature that has me asking this is the Goblin Acolyte of Maglubyet (MM2). Its aura stops hit point regain. Now this kind of activity (hit point regain) usually occurs when "forced" by the party healer.

So if no one knows about the aura's effects until they are enacted, the healer says "spend a surge" you do and you do not regain hit points.

This isn't the aura where you notice you don't hit as often. Or take random damage because the monster is thrashing around. These I wouldn't mind finding out when I'm inside it.

I'd however be pretty pissed to find out that I wasted abilities which are limited to 1x or 2x per encounter or even day (Second Wind, Healing Words, etc.) on an aura that completely negates their effect. Since the standard rule is "I know what it does" and I wouldn't have used it would I know, I'd suggest to at least don't expend the use (the action is wasted though).

 

[Klaus]

Greetings,

just a quick question regarding auras - more specifically those auras that are subtle in effect rather than overtly damaging.

Players are told/supposed to know when a creature is bloodied, or when a creature is a minion as far as I understand it.

But how about auras? When a player is affected by an aura that has no discernible effect on them - should they be told?

If it imposes a -2 penalty on attack rolls then the next roll they make they find out about the aura? Or are they told "creature X has an aura that gives -2".

The creature that has me asking this is the Goblin Acolyte of Maglubyet (MM2). Its aura stops hit point regain. Now this kind of activity (hit point regain) usually occurs when "forced" by the party healer.

So if no one knows about the aura's effects until they are enacted, the healer says "spend a surge" you do and you do not regain hit points.

Any thoughts on this? I was planning to scatter a bunch of these guys around a battle field for a higher level party focused on a larger foe.

D

Think of what the aura feels like in game world terms.

For the Acolyte of Maglubyet, tell PCs in the aura that they feel a weariness when near the goblin, like soldiers that have seen far too many battles. Their muscles seem tired and their resolve seems weakened.

 

[DracoSuave]

Could I get a citation to that guideline - seems my brain missed it

I don't like the idea of giving away all the information up front until they've experienced it, however if the RAW states it I will do it since I'm running a 100% RAW game as my first campaign to ensure I understand the rules 100% before I run off and make changes.

D

Page 26-27

“Gotcha!” Abilities: Pay attention to monster abilities that change the basic rules and tactics of combat, and give players the cues they need to recognize them. Describe the ability as it might appear in the game world, and then describe it in game terms to make it clear.
For example, if the characters are fighting a pit fiend, whose aura of fire deals fire damage to creatures within 5 squares, you might tell the players (before their characters come in range), “The heat emanating from the devil is intense even at this distance. You know that getting within five squares of it is going to burn you.”

Yeah, most auras fall under the "you can tell what's affecting you" category imho. An example of an aura I wouldn't tell the pcs about is the fire within of the Chosen of Imix (MM3 117)- allies in the aura gain resist 10 fire. That might be a bad example since it doesn't affect the pcs at all... here we go: the dream hag's nightmare weaver aura:

Any unconscious enemy that starts its turn within the aura stands up and is dominated until the end of its next turn. The enemy remains unconscious but takes a single action during its turn, chosen by the dream hag.

In the first case...

'You notice the torch flames occasionally blow away from the Chosen of Imix. You suspect his resistance against heat and flame might extend beyond his physical reach.'

In the second case...

'The dream hag steps on the head of a nearby rat, mortally injuring it... five seconds later the dying rat is up, eyes glowing with green light, ready to attack on behalf of its conqueror.'