Do you know if the monsters made their save?

[Archer]

Do you tell your players when the monsters make their saves or not? Why or why not? Would you do it for charm, slow, or area damage?

Would you tell them if the creature was unaffected because of its SR in the case of spells like prayer?

 

[Kraedin]

Likewise, if a creature's saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell, such as charm person, you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed at saving throws against effect and area spells.

Yes, if the rules say that I should.

 

[Oni]

"A creature that successfully saves against a spell without obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. For example, if you secretly cast charm person on a character and his saving throw succeeds, he knows that someone used magic against him, but he can't tell what you were trying to do. Likewise, if a creature's saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell, such as charm person, you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed at saving throws against effect and area spells." PHB pg150



[edit: Second fasted gun in the West just gets you a nice pine box]

 

[Valmur_Dwur]

I'll answer your question then I rant Now I'm running a PbEM at the moment but I apply it when I DM ftf. You should never know if your spell was saved against or not. Only if there is some obivious physcial response ie sleep. Otherwise even a Charm person should require that the spellcaster only have the slightest hint that it worked. And it should be easy to fool if you know what would be expected. By this I mean your MU who has not cast the spell in anger only in learning it (Charm Person that is) casts it upon an enemy MU who has the spell and has cast it on some mook allies in the past. How would MU 1 know whether MU 2 was under the spell unless he tried to have him do something that was of a boon to MU 1 party? Furthermore, could you trust the spell to be actually controlling MU 2 or is he playing along? Granted after its been cast a few times I allow the MU in question to have a better understanding of the effects the charmed person is under. Perhaps its the "helpfulness" of the charmed one in making sure the MU is comfortable and happy. The slightly glassy-eyed stare the charmed is under while the spell is in effect. So No I don't allow a spellcaster to know 100% for sure after all you don't tell the rogue THE TRAP IS DISARMED only that it "appears" to be. My mini rant since I don't want to take up more space BUT for those that tell the players the hp damage or hp remaining STOP IT! Unless the pc has the healing domain or is maxed out in heal don't say you have 5 hp left. Use the game to describe damage. This keeps the metagaming out and puts some fear into your players as if they should take on 1 more encounter or call it a day

 

[Pax]

I'll answer your question then I rant Now I'm running a PbEM at the moment but I apply it when I DM ftf. You should never know if your spell was saved against or not. Only if there is some obivious physcial response ie sleep.

I think the point is, in a directly Targetted spell, the spellcaster FEELS the magic fail. MIND you -- as a DM, I don't let the player know WHY the spellf ailed (that nasty masked-and-robed cleric might be a Half-Fiend and so not SUBJECT to Charm PErson). But they shoudl know it failed for SOME reason.

Otherwise even a Charm person should require that the spellcaster only have the slightest hint that it worked.

You do; you feel your spell fail to make the proper connection to the target.

And it should be easy to fool if you know what would be expected.

Which would require a Spellcraft roll -- at hefty costs in skill points for noncasters.

By this I mean your MU who has not cast the spell in anger only in learning it (Charm Person that is) casts it upon an enemy MU who has the spell and has cast it on some mook allies in the past. How would MU 1 know whether MU 2 was under the spell unless he tried to have him do something that was of a boon to MU 1 party?

First off, "magic-users" died with 1E; we have Wizards, Sorcerors, and Bards (and the occasional FR Cleric) chucking Charm Persons nowadays.

Anyway, minirant aside; the first spellcaster would "feel" their charm person fail to "Take hold" of the chosen target. Essentially, they'd feel the spell "miss" or "bounce off" or the like. Targetted spells, IMO, work along the lines of carefully building a magical "bridge" between the caster and the target, through which the spell's effects are channelled. Thus, there's a connection of sorts involved. If the spell ails to operate, that connection is also broken ... and not by the caster's choosing. Thus, they know the spell has failed.

Furthermore, could you trust the spell to be actually controlling MU 2 or is he playing along?

At first, yes. Later on ... maybe not. If you ask too much of the target, and they throw off the spell ... YOU might not know that.

But BY THE BOOK ... spellcasters know when their Targetted spells fail.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But BY THE BOOK ... spellcasters know when their Targetted spells fail.

I nearly gave a similar response, but I reread the original poster's question:

"Do you tell your players...?"

By the book, yeah, you should, but it sounded more like a "In your campaign" question... which is how Valmur answered it

-Hyp.