DM Blunder - Spoiler Warning for Dungeon Mag #91

[Orcus]

You clearly need to lie to your characters more. That way if you slip up they dont know if you are just misleading them again.

I dont mean lie in an evil way, but rather exaggerate the danger or state the monster and then pause and say..."or is it?" and smile. Pretty soon they wont trust little things like that that you say and they will be on edge.

When used judiciously it is a great tool.

Clark

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Wulf, I'd just like to point out that most adventurers won't have the benefit of a Monster Manual to use to study the strengths and weaknesses of the critters they may face in their careers.

I'm not suggesting that players be allowed free access to the Monster Manual during (or even between) sessions.

I'm simply saying that it is easier and more believable to allow players full access to whatever is floating around in their head, than it is to force the players to pretend NOT to know something.

It's even easier to assume that characters would have access to books akin to the MM, than it is to create a world-spanning paradigm that assumes that books are rare and expensive and that illiteracy is rampant-- certainly not where adventurers are concerned. Well over 90% of all adventurers are literate, after all.

Never try to apply "real world" logic to D&D, because it just doesn't hold up. Magic is indistinguishable from technology, and thus there's nothing "middle ages" about D&D other than the style of dress.

The simplest path to verisimilitude and a smooth gaming experience is to allow the characters to know what the players know.

Wulf