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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6987448" data-attributes="member: 97077">What @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=6785438" target="_blank">Warmaster Horus</a> is referring to here (bolded) is called &quot;telegraphing.&quot; That is, providing clues of possible danger to the PCs and letting them take action to avoid a potentially disastrous fate. I recommend providing some level of clue without a check (passive or otherwise) and then ask what the PCs do. Further investigation to draw conclusions based on the evidence may call for an ability check of some kind. If they start keeping watch for danger (assuming they hadn't already established that), then you can apply passive Perception to see if they spot the gelatinous cube while they continue their travels in the dungeon.Telegraphing is what in my view makes a gelatinous cube encounter - or really, any encounter with a hidden monster - fair. Without some clues heralding potential danger ahead, the players can wander blindly into an unavoidable problem and that's neither fair nor fun in my opinion. As I see it, this game is all about the ability of the players to make meaningful decision and without sufficient information, it's just a guessing game... or a total screwjob when the &quot;gotcha&quot; tactics of the DM takes out a character.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="iserith, post: 6987448, member: 97077"] What @[I][B][U][URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=6785438"]Warmaster Horus[/URL][/U][/B][/I] is referring to here (bolded) is called "telegraphing." That is, providing clues of possible danger to the PCs and letting them take action to avoid a potentially disastrous fate. I recommend providing some level of clue without a check (passive or otherwise) and then ask what the PCs do. Further investigation to draw conclusions based on the evidence may call for an ability check of some kind. If they start keeping watch for danger (assuming they hadn't already established that), then you can apply passive Perception to see if they spot the gelatinous cube while they continue their travels in the dungeon. Telegraphing is what in my view makes a gelatinous cube encounter - or really, any encounter with a hidden monster - fair. Without some clues heralding potential danger ahead, the players can wander blindly into an unavoidable problem and that's neither fair nor fun in my opinion. As I see it, this game is all about the ability of the players to make meaningful decision and without sufficient information, it's just a guessing game... or a total screwjob when the "gotcha" tactics of the DM takes out a character. [/QUOTE]

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