Minion Status: Private or Public?

[Bombshelter13]

Do you, as a DM, plan on informing players during combat as to which enemies are normal and which are minions (or solos, elites, etc), or do you intend to let them judge for themselves which enemies they believe fall into which categories?

 

[hong]

Let them find out.

Of course, there will be some non-minions who are obvious ("who's that orc with the BIG SWORD?") but other than that, minions shouldn't have their status tattooed on their foreheads.

 

[That One Guy]

Let them find out.

Of course, there will be some non-minions who are obvious ("who's that orc with the BIG SWORD?") but other than that, minions shouldn't have their status tattooed on their foreheads.

Concur fully. I like the idea of a group of monsters that all look alike, but have vastly different powers. It'll keep PCs on their toes more, I think, and make the game feel more dangerous.

 

[neceros]

I plan to pepper normal monsters in with the minions and let the surprises commence.

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm not sure, if you look at the heroic genre in film and books, it's pretty clear which ones are minions and which are not, even before they go down in a fight.

I wouldn't say "These are minions" but I would try to make it clear from my description (the non-minions getting more "camera time") which weren't thus they could deduce which were.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I'm not sure, if you look at the heroic genre in film and books, it's pretty clear which ones are minions and which are not, even before they go down in a fight.

I tend to agree with this. I'm not going to spell it out in large letters, or refer to monsters by their stat block terms, but it should be fairly obvious that some are more powerful than others.

Unless I'm pulling the surprise zombie trick that's already been mentioned.

 

[Fenes]

There's always a handy spot or sense motive or other test to see if a character notices that the NPC on the left is moving just a touch too smoothly, and may not be a mook, but a rogue setting up his sneak attack.

 

[hong]

I guess I do tend to be fairly easy when it comes to judging what counts as "obvious".

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I'll put some hints, but yeah it will be mainly up to the players to figure it out.

 

[med stud]

The minions are the faceless horde that charges the PCs at the orders of the regular members of the species, whatever it is a kobold slinger yapping them onward or a orc berzerker leading by example. At least that's how I plan to use minions.