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Message: <blockquote data-quote="airwalkrr" data-source="post: 5723807" data-attributes="member: 12460">Given the following:So the player characters are walking through a dungeon and a medusa (or umber hulk, nymph, etc.) turns round the next corner. How do you run gaze attacks in your campaign? I see a few methods to handle this; I'll describe them briefly.First is the simple method. Force the character entering range of the gaze to make a saving throw unless the player of the character specifies at the beginning of his turn which method he wishes to use to avert his eyes. Of course this assumes knowledge on the part of the player of how gaze attacks works so it might be troubling to some, especially considering that this information is located in the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual, not the Player's Handbook and might be considered privileged information. Nevertheless, it is straightforward.Second is the slightly less simple, but fair warning method. At the beginning of an encounter with a creature with a gaze attack, give the character a chance to make a Knowledge check to know about the creature's gaze attack (assuming the character is trained in the appropriate skill). If the check succeeds, simply warn the player about the effect of the gaze. If the check fails, run it as the first method. This gives the character some reasonable chance to be warned of the danger without delving into specifics of rules and disrupting the suspension of disbelief.Third is what I would call the overly fair or "kindly DM" method. Any time a character enters the area of a creature's gaze attack, ask the player of the character what method, if any they will be using to avert their gaze, even if the character would have no knowledge of said gaze attack. Given that some looks can literally kill, I can understand a DM who might want to use this method.I myself tend to vacillate somewhere between the first and second method. My campaigns take place in Eberron, and in Eberron, some creatures, such as medusas, are so legendary that any character, even one lacking training in the right Knowledge skill, might know of their power with a simple DC 10 Intelligence check. In such cases, I often use the second method. But other creatures are a bit more bizarre and unheard of except in dusty old tomes. In these cases, the roll of the Knowledge check is generally the responsibility of the player to make and I use the first method. (Yep, I'm a mean DM.)So how do you run it? If you vote in the poll, just pick the option that most closely resembles how you run it.</blockquote>

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