D&D 5E "I Forgot I Had It"

[Shadowdweller00]

Realize this is months after the OP, but: I've forgotten things in my real life inventory that would have been clutch if I had remembered I had them. Because stress. And cognitive dissonance. And I'm a pack rat. And hopefully not early onset Alzheimer's. I don't see why my character shouldn't have to suffer the same thing just because they're supposed to be heroic or something.

 

[Shiroiken]

Wasn't me, but I saw a character drown because we all forgot he was wearing a tow line. We needed to explore an underwater cave back in AD&D, and so the thief was volunteered. We tied a rope around his waist, with instructions that if he got into trouble, he should tug on the rope three times. He got into a fight with an underwater creature, and although I don't remember what, it was something he should have been able to handle pretty easily. However, the DM was obsessed with this "critical hit" chart he acquired, and the creature's last blow was a crit. Since the effect rolled didn't make sense, the DM decided the rogue expelled all his air instead. He killed the creature with his next attack, then frantically began swimming back. In all the excitement, everyone completely forgot about the tow line, which should have allowed us to pull him back in time. When we realized it well after the fact, the DM pointed out that the character must have panicked and forgotten as well.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Wasn't me, but I saw a character drown because we all forgot he was wearing a tow line. We needed to explore an underwater cave back in AD&D, and so the thief was volunteered. We tied a rope around his waist, with instructions that if he got into trouble, he should tug on the rope three times. He got into a fight with an underwater creature, and although I don't remember what, it was something he should have been able to handle pretty easily. However, the DM was obsessed with this "critical hit" chart he acquired, and the creature's last blow was a crit. Since the effect rolled didn't make sense, the DM decided the rogue expelled all his air instead. He killed the creature with his next attack, then frantically began swimming back. In all the excitement, everyone completely forgot about the tow line, which should have allowed us to pull him back in time. When we realized it well after the fact, the DM pointed out that the character must have panicked and forgotten as well.

Yikes!

This isn't about forgetting about an item in an inventory, however. As soon as it was tied around the waist of the thief, the rope became a setting element that the DM could (perhaps should...) have invoked a few times while narrating the results of the PC's actions (step 3 of the play loop) or when describing the current state of the environment (back to step 1 of the play loop).

Examples:

During the fight, to the players with PCs above the water: "the rope you are holding has suddenly tensed and gone limp several times. Not exactly three tugs but as if there is a change in the behavior on the other end."

Or, after the fight, to the player of the thief: "As you try to swim up, the rope tied to your waist slackens."

 

[Burnside]

The full werewolf story.

Curse of Strahd. My adventurers got into a fight with some werewolves near Kresk. Both Ezmerelda (NPC) and one PC were infected by lycanthropy during the fight. I decided that due to extensive monster-hunting experience, Ezmerelda would probably understand what had happened. She explained to the party that the curse needed to be lifted by a powerful priest (one of the party was a 7th or 8th level cleric quite capable of casting Remove Curse). The players kind of nodded and mumbled and somebody said "Oh, right, Remove Curse" but they didn't cast it.

A day later, the party was attacked by dire wolves on the Old Svalich Road. I made the wolves conspicuously avoid going after Ezmerelda or the infected player. The players did notice this during the fight and nodded and mumbled "Right, because they're werewolves." Still no Remove Curse cast.

Later that day, Ezmerelda parted ways with them and headed for Von Richten's Tower, hoping to find Von Richten there & that he might have a way to lift the curse (since the cleric player hadn't indicated to Ezmerelda that he could do it). Was Remove Curse cast at this time? No it was not.

Next session. I started with a recap, and included, you know, the bit about lycanthropy, bites, wolves acting weird, etc. "Riiiight," said the players. Surely, you say, Remove Curse was cast? No. Wedding dress brought to Abbot.

Next session, recap, lycanthropy mentioned again by me as gentle reminder. Much nodding and mumbling. Remove Curse? Of course not.

Big fight at Yester Hill, many druids, blights, and berzerkers routed. Strahd cameo. Two players knocked down. Most spell slots used. Infected warlock noticeably invulnerable to non-magical damage.

Next session starts with the party attempting a long rest on Yester Hill, using the bard's Leomund's Tiny Hut, and taking turns on watch. During the warlock's watch, Strahd appears, walk up to the outside of the dome. Warlock taunts him about not being able to get through the Tiny Hut. He smiles at the warlock, shakes his head as if to say "You clowns had three days to cast Remove Curse", points to the full moon, and then walks away as the warlock transforms and attacks her sleeping friends inside the Tiny Hut.

 

[Seramus]

Realize this is months after the OP, but: I've forgotten things in my real life inventory that would have been clutch if I had remembered I had them. Because stress. And cognitive dissonance. And I'm a pack rat. And hopefully not early onset Alzheimer's. I don't see why my character shouldn't have to suffer the same thing just because they're supposed to be heroic or something.

As a more serious answer, I kind of land in the middle. I make a genuine effort to pay attention during games when I am a player, but it's also true that I may not pay as MUCH attention or do as much memorizing and planning as a real living character might do when faced with the risk of death. The same way a character might realistically spend hours or even days on recon and intel gathering, while the players only have 5 hours to burn at the table and the story needs to move on.

As a DM I suppose I tend to pick the option that is easiest for the game first, and then err on the side of the players second. As in, if the scene has moved on and the forgotten detail might cause notable retconning, then we chalk it up as a mistake/panic/forgetting. But if it's a minor thing or might be important to the character, I let them have it because it makes their day better and I have infinite challenges.

 

[Mannahnin]

If the DM knows the players have a solution to a problem in their possession, are they obligated to say something about it?

If there's no NPCs in the party, IMO no the DM is not; though in fairness if it's something the PCs knew about two in-game days ago and it's been two or three real-world weeks for the players, I'll either give them an easy roll or just remind them.

If you have an NPC in the group - a hench or whatever - then if that person had knowledge of the item maybe that's where the reminder comes from (I'll usually roll a check of some sort to myself for this). If, however, the NPC has no in-game knowledge of the item then said NPC's lips remain sealed.

That said, items come and go so often that half the time I've no clue what they're carrying - other than weapons and armour for the warriors whose properties come up every time the fightin' starts, and a few other things that constantly get used.

I'm largely on the same page as Lanefan.

Usually I don't want to prompt the players with "You would remember x", but occasionally I will if it's a core thing that the character would obviously care about and be aware of but the player is obviously overtired or something. But that's infrequent.

More common when the players are completely overlooking something is to think about whether any of their henchmen or hirelings might logically remember, and then roll checks so see if they do. In which case they'll likely speak up.

I'd rather have the players figure stuff out and solve problems without any prompting from me, but recruiting reliable friends and allies is also a player and character skill.

 

[iserith]

I'm largely on the same page as Lanefan.

Usually I don't want to prompt the players with "You would remember x", but occasionally I will if it's a core thing that the character would obviously care about and be aware of but the player is obviously overtired or something. But that's infrequent.

More common when the players are completely overlooking something is to think about whether any of their henchmen or hirelings might logically remember, and then roll checks so see if they do. In which case they'll likely speak up.

I'd rather have the players figure stuff out and solve problems without any prompting from me, but recruiting reliable friends and allies is also a player and character skill.

I set things up where I don't really have to remember much of anything and I certainly don't remember anything about anyone's character sheets, so basically you're on your own in my games!

 

[Shadowdweller00]

I think on-site reminders cheapen the reward of solving problems for one's self. But I'll sometimes provide short recaps of previous adventures, particularly if it's been a couple weeks since last session. Which would generally include things found or purchased. Might make some sort of indirect exception for a character that has an ability like the Keen Mind feat.

"When last we left our stalwart adventurers, they had..."

 

[robemm]

I think on-site reminders cheapen the reward of solving problems for one's self. But I'll sometimes provide short recaps of previous adventures, particularly if it's been a couple weeks since last session. Which would generally include things found or purchased. Might make some sort of indirect exception for a character that has an ability like the Keen Mind feat.

"When last we left our stalwart adventurers, they had..."

My players can get a recap and 2 hours later will apparently have forgotten what was in it!

 

[Lanefan]

Each week our DM puts the game log online.

Each week at the start of the session some version of the following conversation takes place:

Player: "What were we doing last session?"
DM: "Did you read the log?"
Player: "Uh...no?"

Sigh.