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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ozmar" data-source="post: 1526564" data-attributes="member: 8021">I completely agree with Zappo: "...the actual characters have a much better view of the situation than what the DM can describe to the players in a reasonable amount of time."However, I also find that sometimes using the grid can lead to players acting on an artificially high level of situational awareness that is far above what their characters could possess. For example, I often see players carefully counting out the squares of a spell's area of effect and placing their spells precisely to catch every possible enemy while avoiding PCs. At times this is taken to rediculous extremes. As a DM, I usually let it slide, especially when I can rationalize it (such as when the gnome archmage has a 22 Intelligence - she should be pretty accurate with her spells.)As with most things, its a balancing act. As a player, I usually eyeball where the spell should be and try not to carefully construct its precise position. I usually expect the DM to adjudicate the precise effects. But I vary this based on my character's intelligence and wisdom. If he is very smart and wise, I'll look up the spell first and double-check the parameters. If he's inexperienced, foolish, or not a quick thinker, then I'll eyeball it, or maybe even fudge the line too close to our front lines, and only look up the spell after I've committed myself to the action. However I do it, I always commit to my first selection (unless the DM points out new information that my character should have had). So if I send a lightning bolt down the corridor, and a player points out that this will hit the glass vase we're looking for at the end of the corridor (outside my range of sight), then I say "oops" and let the choice stand. If the DM points out that there is an ogre standing next to me and will take an AoO, but he just forgot to tell me or put the mini out for the ogre, then I'd change my action.</blockquote>

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