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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fusangite" data-source="post: 3032303" data-attributes="member: 7240">That's what I come here to do. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> The only thing better than ENWorld when it comes to an esoteric argument about an agreed-upon text is when the Jehovah's Witnesses come to my door.That's most laudable; you see I mainly come to ENW for a good debating workout.I don't worry too much about that because of two things:(a) I assume that player knowledge about combat is going to be inferior to their character's pretty much regardless -- I see the knowledge gap as being that big(b) low BAB primary combattants are limited by their lack of feats and single attack to intrinsically less complex combat manoeuvres (no spring attacks or whirlwinds etc.); hence I see the mechanics of the game as already imposing the main limitations on the battle tactics a low level character can useWell, let's move off druids and nature. I have a whole pile of objections to how D&D defines druids and I tend to throw out all the flavour text around them. Let's switch instead to a paladin or monk breaking her vows (this is equivalent, in my reading of the Ex-*character class* sections in the rules of the druid "ceasing to venerate nature"). Here, there are mechanical consequences, and severe ones at that, to a character ignoring an RP requirement of her class. Spells, special abilities, advancement in the class, etc. are all threatened by a character using battle tactics that vitiate her eligibility for membership in her chosen class. If you have a DM who is enforcing the rules, these combat manoeuvres are not rational or efficient solutions to the problems your character is trying to solve because each time you make such a move, you risk having your character's powers severely curtailed.It is one thing to play like you have never encountered such a beast. But it is quite another thing to play as though you have never heard stories, rumours or legends about it. I tend to assume a base level of character knowledge about species in the world equivalent to our knowledge of emperor penguins or sea elephants. That stated, again there is solid mechanical guidance available here. Knowledge (*) skills determine how much a character knows about a creature he has not encountered before. If a PC appears to be acting on specialized esoteric information about a creature that his character would be unlikely to know, I demand a roll on the appropriate Knowledge skill at the appropriate DC.My reaction as a DM would be to ask "how does your character know this?" If no solid in-game justification is forthcoming, I'll demand a Know (Religion) roll at DC10+(creature's HD) (or is it 15? don't have my PHB handy) and if they fail the roll, they will probably be shamed by the group collectively into abandoning the plan, or spending the next few rounds coming up with a credible in-game justification for it.</blockquote>

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