Revealing monster secrets to the Players (after the battle)

[Quasqueton]

Sometimes (often), after a battle with a "custom" enemy (read: not stock out of the MM), I like to tell the Players the creature's stats.

Me: "Guess how many hit points that guy had?"

Player: "60 or 70?"

Me: "Nope. 102!"


Me: "Know why he passed all his saves?"

Player: "Why?"

Me: "He has +14 on his fort saves!"


Me: "You didn't have a chance against its grapple checks."

Player: "What was its bonus?"

Me: "+32 including size modifier!"


I tend to do this after the PCs defeat a major enemy. I don't do it to brag about how 133t I can make my monsters, but rather because I'm excited by how the game mechanics stack up and work out in actual play. I don't really have anyone outside the game group to talk about it with, so I have to keep the excitement all bottled up for weeks (between creating the bad guy and the PCs finally encountering him). Then after the battle, I kind of explode with glee over how everything turned out.

I try very hard to not let out the information before the PCs have defeated/slain the monster, but sometimes a little tidbit slips.

Me: "Make a will save, DC 25."

I'm wondering, am I the only DM who has this need to talk about his monsters with his Players?

I like to hear the experience with the creature from their sides, and see their reaction to the secret numbers behind how the battle worked out.

Me: "Wanna know why your attacks were not hurting him much?"

Player: "Yeah, why?"

Me: "Damage reduction 10/silver."


Am I a freak DM because of this need to discuss the creature stats? Do other DMs manage to go whole campaigns without ever devulging numbers to the Players? How do you hold it all in?

I have to tell someone, or I might turn into one of those freaky guys at the game store who just has to tell random strangers about my latest monster. *trembles* I can't stand those guys.

Quasqueton

 

[diaglo]

Am I a freak DM because of this need to discuss the creature stats? Do other DMs manage to go whole campaigns without ever devulging numbers to the Players? How do you hold it all in?

i write a story hour for our group. i'm glad the DM shares some information after the fact. it helps me write a better story hour. (spelling of names, quotes for the long diatribe BBEG #1 just gave us, items they were carrying, etc...)

 

[Arnwyn]

Yeah, I do on occasion... but only for unique and strange monsters.

Since I get no enjoyment about talking about the campaign "story" (such as it is) with my players (why bother? I already know all the secrets ), this is where I get my enjoyment regarding talking about the game (which I do less and less of nowadays).

 

[MarauderX]

I like to do this also, but I guess I am not bursting to do so. I will describe how [un]lucky the players were in an encounter if I had made modifications, but I don't really reveal the pinpoint details unless they really weren't sure what they were dealing with. With the new campaign, I plan to post up the different tidbits as they occur, but probably won't list HP, BAB, feats, etc. unless the players ask. But just so you know, you are not alone.

 

[Rel]

Am I a freak DM because of this need to discuss the creature stats?

Nope. I do it all the time. But only if I know they won't be running into any more of the same critters.

 

[shilsen]

Am I a freak DM because of this need to discuss the creature stats? Do other DMs manage to go whole campaigns without ever devulging numbers to the Players? How do you hold it all in?

I never feel a need to discuss the stats, although I'll freely do so if the players ask (usually because they can't figure why the kobold beat the heck out of them ). That being said, I don't think there's anything strange about you feeling a need to share. I think more DMs lean your way than mine.

As for how I hold it all in - it's all about the control. Yeah, baby

 

[Cbas10]

Sometimes (often), after a battle with a "custom" enemy (read: not stock out of the MM), I like to tell the Players the creature's stats.

I don't have as much of a problem with this; my players know all too well that anything I use is purely WotC or Dragon/Dungeon magazine (not a WotC-Nazi; rather I don't care to spend all kinds of money on a huge library of stuff I will rarely use). Any strange variance on a monster or NPC is just going to be a mix of templates, concepts, and tactics. I might give the players hints or insight into what templates or spells I used for rather interesting effects, but they can figure out the numbers beyond that if they feel the need.

My big problem is not giving them too much of the behind-the-scenes information without letting them find out in-game. Clues they missed, NPC motives, future complications, et cetera are things that get me all excited to share with others.

I have to tell someone, or I might turn into one of those freaky guys at the game store who just has to tell random strangers about my latest monster. *trembles* I can't stand those guys.

Fortunately, even though my wife is not a gamer and cares nothing for hearing about the rules, she loves to hear about plotlines, stories and how the players are dealing with them in the game. It's sorta like "gamer bedtime-stories."

As for those freaky guys at the shop, your FLGS needs a sign like this: In big red letters next to a beaten and bloodied rabbit on a poster behind the front counter: "Silly nerd; anecdotes are about REAL people!"

 

[AlphaOmega]

Yeah, I do on occasion... but only for unique and strange monsters.

Pretty much the same for me... Except the last few sessions we had I did this a little more. But that might be a byproduct of us using minis more often. I'm also a stat freak which comes from my love for baseball. So I guess the it would logically translate to DnD stats at some point.