Is it "metagaming" to remind a player their power works on a miss?

[jeffh]

For the sake of argument, let me give your DM the benefit of the doubt that "if you forget it, so does your character" is reasonable. (Many people have given many reasons for thinking it's not, but I'm pretending otherwise for the moment.) How is it supposed to follow that the physical effect of the arrow changes? If anything in this thread is metagaming, it's that.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I'd be interested in hearing the DM-in-question's position on the matter in their own words. Because from what has been said so far is rather remarkably obtuse.

 

[Holy Bovine]

They do, unfortunately. He's said as much if someone else reminded me that I had a +1 to AC from the Cleric's Priest Shield power, because he says their character wouldn't know the benefit it provides (that doesn't make a lick of sense to me; if I've fought with the cleric for months now and seen him use this power that bolsters my defense, I'd recognize it on sight and know I have its effect [maybe it's an aura, or something]).

I have a headache now trying to figure out how your DM thinks. Really my brain hurts.

 

[billd91]

It's time to call shenanigans on the DM. Activating a power may be an act of will by the PC, but using a bonus or secondary effect of a power that's already been activated is not and should not be a case of something being "forgotten" by the PC thus unusable.

I would even say that, by allowing such effects to not affect a character even if the player forgets them, the DM is not doing his job as a fair referee. If the players forget their miss effects or bonuses, the DM should be willing to be the FIRST in line to remind them.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Key-righst. Maybe point your DM to this thread? A wakeup call should do the trick. . .

One might hope.

 

[Dragonblade]

This came up last night and, quite frankly, annoyed the heck out of me. We were in combat with a group of trolls (we're about 2/3 through of King of the Trollhaunt Warrens) and our wizard cast Acid Arrow on a troll; she rolls and misses, and was about to end her turn when I reminded her that it does half damage on a miss; the DM points out that this is metagaming since my Dragonborn Fighter wouldn't know that (which is nonsense anyways, since I've seen her cast the spell before). I argue that it's not metagaming to point out the rules of the game to a player, since the character would know their own powers (the player is a little forgetful). DM says no they wouldn't, and if you forget something then oh well, your character forgets it too.

This seems totally ridiculous to me. I see nothing wrong in saying "Hey remember that your power does "x" if you miss" to another player if they forget; I understand the DM's POV though because the other players were all totally new to D&D (we've been playing for about a year now) and they need to learn the rules, but to call this metagaming seems like it's a rather strange definition. I always thought metagaming was referencing the rules of the game in-game (e.g. "That dragon can't be too hard; the DM wouldn't throw a monster that tough at us right now"), not reminding to another PLAYER how a spell they don't use often works.

You are correct and your DM is wrong. And not only wrong, but being a borderline jerk about it too. If any DM I know said something so absurd, I'd call them on their BS immediately.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Like I said, I don't want to make it out like my DM is being a jerk, because he has noble intentions (of course, you know what they say about good intentions...) and is trying to get all of us to track things better. But like, if we forget a side effect, he won't remind us and it will have no effect, and doesn't like for another player to point it out (like I did).

As much as your DM is wrong, it also sounds like you guys should be learning your stuff better. Know what your character can do. Read the power's description before you use it. Don't keep it all on your DM's shoulders.

 

[amysrevenge]

The real solution, of course, is to have an actual grown-up to grown-up discussion with the group (DM included) to be a bit more explicit about what flavour of D&D etiquette fits best for your group.

Make sure that the difference between (1) tactical metagaming (influencing what other players might choose to do) and (2) rules assistance (properly adjudicating actions that other players have already taken) is clear, and decide as a group how you feel about both.

There are groups out there that go either way on allowing or forbidding (1), but almost nobody will make the choice your DM seems to have made regarding (2).

 

[greatamericanfolkher]

... DM says no they wouldn't, and if you forget something then oh well, your character forgets it too.
...

This is a warning sign! Get out while you still can!

 

[cdrcjsn]

This is a warning sign! Get out while you still can!

Yeah. Save yourself future headaches. This DM sounds like trouble. Either he has it in for someone at the table or he's too much of a control freak.