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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6626661" data-attributes="member: 97077">A "gotcha" is an example of false challenge. Without any clues that the players can interpret that will allow them to make meaningful decisions to change their fate, getting jumped by a monster or hit by a trap is essentially a random event. What makes a challenge satisfying in my view is when the players' decisions matter enough to have some control over the outcome of the situation. And in order to give them the context to make those decisions, a DM telegraphs - tip his or her hand. This is part and parcel to creating satisfying challenges as I see it. It also avoids what I call "procedural" play where players are just engaging in procedures they've created to mitigate failure: search every room/door/chest/statue for traps, search every wall for secret doors, assume every NPC is lying, etc. I prefer that the players not do this, so I telegraph threats, secret doors, and other hidden things. Sometimes they figure it out and prevail; other times they do not. But it removes the perception of a situation being a "gotcha." It also has the side effect of improving the DM's descriptions and storytelling (telegraphing is foreshadowing), plus it makes exploration scenes more engaging in my experience.I gave an example upthread of the PCs hearing a rumor of "the wizard's tower being guarded by demons of rock and stone." Later on as they are exploring the dungeon, they come across these horned, clawed, winged statues. If they were paying attention and remember what they heard, they might then believe that these could be the "demons" they heard about and act accordingly. It is a very satisfying feeling as a player to put two and two together like this and gain an edge. If they do not remember, dismissed the rumor as nonsense, or whatever, then they get jumped by the gargoyles. This is not a "gotcha" because the DM telegraphed the threat and gave them a fair opportunity to do something about it. The PCs just didn't make the decisions necessary to avoid their fate. If the DM doesn't telegraph, the players just have to make sure to include "search/smash/poke from a distance every statue" on their procedural checklist.Maybe the OP did telegraph the potential threat and the player totally botched the job. But given the reaction, I think there's more to the objection than whether or not an elemental glows when detect magic is cast.<a href="http://www.madadventurers.com/angry-rants-gotcha/" target="_blank">Here is some additional reading on the subject if you're interested</a>. I don't always agree with the AngryGM, but here he is spot on. (Here's <a href="http://www.madadventurers.com/angry-rants-challenge/" target="_blank">another read</a>.)</blockquote>

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