How helpful are you to the players?

[dren]

DMs,

When you are running a game, how helpful are you to experienced players when they forget to take advantage of a rule or magic item. Do you take an omnipresent viewpoint, and take everything into account? Or, do you not take the bonus into affect unless the player specificly says, "But I have this feat/magic item. "

When I forget to use a rule that could help the monsters, none of the players speak up. And I normally try to take everything into account, but lately, as the characters are getting higher up in levels and are increasing in the number of feats/items, it's harder for me to take everything into consideration. Should I bother to tell them? Or should I let them take care of themselves, and let the dead bodies fall where they may?

 

[Crothian]

Players new to the game I'll help out, but not experienced gamers. As DM I have plenty to think about and I should not be my job to also make sure the players are using all their abilites. PCs have only one character to worry about so knowing what that character can do is really their responsibility. The other PCs are free and in my games do help out each other.

 

[Nifft]

I've had players help monsters out -- they're mature enough to differentiate between their characters and themselves.

I tend to help players who don't show a propensity for cheating or powergaming. I'm much more interested in seeing them develop than in smacking them down.

-- Nifft

 

[fusangite]

Half the time, it's my players who are reminding me of the rules in D&D; since starting 3E, there's always been a player in my group who knows the rules better than I.

As for plot points, it really depends on the exigency of the narrative; if someone fails to notice something, I ask myself: "Can this failure be used to make the game interesting?" If so, I say nothing. If not, it's really a judgement call as to how damaging to the narrative the mistake would be. Even then, I use subtle hints.

This all changes, however, if a character would die for failing to notice something; generally, then, I do try to pass on some kind of hint to save her/his life.

 

[Mercule]

I tend to take things like cloaks of resistance (or other always-on magic items -- a better example eludes me) into account when I make a die roll for the player -- or when they don't necessarily know what they are rolling against. I'll also give a gentle nudge if it's a new power or item.

In general, though, I don't worry about reminding them about sneak attacks when they flank or favored enemy bonuses or things like that. Likewise, I pretty much _never_ warn a player that they are doing something they should know would provoke an AoO (casting, moving foolishly, etc.), although trying something new, I'll usually give them a forewarning.

Basically, I don't mind an occasional reminder if the player is having an off-night, but it isn't my job to play the character. I've had a couple of players who _constantly_ forget their abilities and AoOs and it just sucks the fun out of it for everyone else if you have to hold their hand.