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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grayhawk" data-source="post: 1843911" data-attributes="member: 11288">If that character has knowledge arcana and still choose to chug fireballs at red dragons, it's the fault of the player for not using his character's abilities. ('Say, can I make a knowledge arcana roll to see if my charcter knows anything about red dragons and whether they have any special resistances?').While it may seem obvious that a 21 Int Wizard should know these things, and that if the player of such a character doesn't, he should just be told, I feel that's a wrong way to go about it. How do you determine what characters know and how much they can figure out, based on their ability scores?How high level does the fighter need to be, before his player should be pointed out any kind of movement related AoO's he's drawing? At which point is the character with godlike Int and Wis just given the answer to every riddle and always pointed out the most logical, most effecient course of action?Personally, I prefer for players to try and play their character's as best they can, learning from their mistakes a long the way, and my players feel the same way. The first time their new characters encounter trolls, they'll ask me if they know anything about their regeneration and how to overcome it. If such information is common knowledge in that campaign world, I might just tell them. If it's  more obscure, it'll require a successful knowledge roll, and if it's the first anybody ever has seen of a troll in this world, they'll have to figure it out the hard way. And they have no problem roleplaying such ignorance.I feel that there is such a thing as being good or bad at playing a roleplaying game, and taking away the possibility for players to get better at it and to remove the feeling that they are overcomming obstacles because they, as players, are directing their character's actions and making the most of their abilities, is taking away from what's unique about roleplaying, IMO. Just to be given the answers 'because you should know' wouldn't give me the satisfaction I would get from actually thinking myself and remembering to use my character's knowledge represented by his skills and experience.Obviously, there can be extreme examples where a charcater should just be flat out told that he should know better (and the red dragon/fireball example is close to being one, dependant on campaign setting). But even then, I try to remind my players that they should try and think for themselves.'As your wizard - pulling out the material components for Burning Hands - stares down the closing fire elemental, he gets a nagging thought in the back of his head. Make an Int check. DC 2.'And at other times I'll just sit by in disbelief as they cast fireballs at red dragons, hoping that they'll learn from their mistakes.'Why didn't you tell me it was immune to fire?''What, you didn't know? And here I was about to put you down for extra RP XP for playing your wizard absentminded, all Fizban-like...'Of course, YMMV.</blockquote>

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