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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6993033" data-attributes="member: 97077">I've probably posted one somewhere, but I wouldn't know where it is. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Basically, if the question a player asks is something the character could DO by taking action in the game world, he or she should take the action instead. (Fictional action not necessarily &quot;mechanical&quot; action.) Asking a question is sort of like cheating in that it's a way to avoid a potential consequence for an action the character takes. It's playing in the &quot;metagame&quot; instead of playing in the game which is safer. It stops the narrative from moving forward until the questions are resolved.If the question is about a rule or some other issue that cannot be answered by the character taking action in the game world, then that's fine. Otherwise, per the basic conversation of the game, the player should describe her or her character's actions.The first thing I do when I choose a monster to use is look at its stat block to figure out what things to include in the environment that speak to its special nature. A mezzoloth in my game would almost certainly appear in a place filled with an acidic, poisonous mist or be seen to emerge from a vat of acid to attack. Some other clues might be provided prior to the PCs getting to the mezzoloth's lair. You won't find yourself in a situation where you didn't have a chance to figure this out other than trial and error. That's a &quot;gotcha&quot; in my view and I'm not okay with it.Further, if a character has no appropriate skill, language, race, proficiency, backstory, etc. that would suggest knowing something about mezzoloths, that means nothing to me UNLESS the player states he or she would like to have the character attempt to recall lore about the fiend. At THAT point, I can say the character automatically fails to do so. But otherwise, I have no right as DM in my view to say what a character believes or how he or she acts, nor judge the player as &quot;immature&quot; or whatever when he or she chooses to use spells other than acid splash or poison spray on the mezzoloth for no apparent reason.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="iserith, post: 6993033, member: 97077"] I've probably posted one somewhere, but I wouldn't know where it is. :) Basically, if the question a player asks is something the character could DO by taking action in the game world, he or she should take the action instead. (Fictional action not necessarily "mechanical" action.) Asking a question is sort of like cheating in that it's a way to avoid a potential consequence for an action the character takes. It's playing in the "metagame" instead of playing in the game which is safer. It stops the narrative from moving forward until the questions are resolved. If the question is about a rule or some other issue that cannot be answered by the character taking action in the game world, then that's fine. Otherwise, per the basic conversation of the game, the player should describe her or her character's actions. The first thing I do when I choose a monster to use is look at its stat block to figure out what things to include in the environment that speak to its special nature. A mezzoloth in my game would almost certainly appear in a place filled with an acidic, poisonous mist or be seen to emerge from a vat of acid to attack. Some other clues might be provided prior to the PCs getting to the mezzoloth's lair. You won't find yourself in a situation where you didn't have a chance to figure this out other than trial and error. That's a "gotcha" in my view and I'm not okay with it. Further, if a character has no appropriate skill, language, race, proficiency, backstory, etc. that would suggest knowing something about mezzoloths, that means nothing to me UNLESS the player states he or she would like to have the character attempt to recall lore about the fiend. At THAT point, I can say the character automatically fails to do so. But otherwise, I have no right as DM in my view to say what a character believes or how he or she acts, nor judge the player as "immature" or whatever when he or she chooses to use spells other than acid splash or poison spray on the mezzoloth for no apparent reason. [/QUOTE]

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