Originally Posted by Black Knight Irios
Yes, the wizard must consult his spell list and think about which spell will do best, but isn't he using the rules to know which spell will be the best in any given situation.
The Rogue's player must rely on your description, what is barely the same!
The wizard also relies on my description -- of the enemies' appearances, of the environment, and so forth. I rarely say, "Okay, the fifth-level cleric casts searing light at you"; instead, I say, "Okay, the guy on horseback raises his shield and shouts words in a language you don't recognize. The eye in the middle of the shield blinks open, and a jet of green light arcs out from the eye, burning into your skin." The wizard is then welcome to ask for a spellcraft check.
I never meant you should tell them what lvl/HD/classes any given opponent has, but if the wizard sees a dragon, he will guess his bad Ref save, his immunities and weaknesses by the color of the dragon and the overall power by the size, maybe less maybe even more.
It has indeed something to do with the experience of the character and the player as well, but it is all based on rules that are written somewhere.
Your discription of traps, has nothing to do with rules at all, it is something to make things more interesting, in your opinion. It makes it harder to find them and to get past them, because the players have to employ there own 'skills', instead of their characters, a concept I dislike at all.
As pointed out by many others before it is not fair, it does account the players 'skills', but there are players that can't imagine such things or lack that 'much' of common sense that you request for your games.
If a player can outshine his character's skills with his own, I think there is something wrong, because that is impossible, the characters are far more specialized than their players ever could be. Bad Roleplay I would call that as well.
Your little scenario you desrcibed with fire elementals, using your high wisdom was just telling the DM I use WIS instead of Diplomacy/CHA, nice way of getting around your lack of social skills.
If you had tried that stunt with me as DM you could have had your speech, then role your Diplomacy or CHA check and see what happens. You can use a WIS or INT check to get the right idea what could be a convincing fact but to make the others feel that your facts are convincing you should use Diplomacy or CHA checks.
I dislike that style of play because people who are especially good in talking others into something, usually ignore the capabilities of their characters and always use their own 'skills' in that buisness. But they are players that can't do great speeches themselves and it is unfair to make them pay this disadvantage in skill points to have the same abilities as others without spending even a single point. I had a discussion that was about social skills and the like on another board, and they were the same as you. Especially elusive to rules and how they are written.
They are written for balance and fairness!!! -Think about it!!!
