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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Animal" data-source="post: 6034978" data-attributes="member: 40328">I think the main problem is encrypted in the thread's title.When players start using sense motive as a lie detector and DM lets them do it, difficulties are to be expected.I've had the same problem with paladin's detect evil ability. When paladin player says "I sense evil in this man", other players tend to go slightly metagamey like "He's a paladin, paladins can sense evil without error. That fellow is evil". I had to be creative to stop players from relying on that tool so much. For example, creating neutral villains and good-aligned rivals, while some evil characters often pursued similar agendas as PCs. Or making LE characters upstanding and well respected members of society, so that the crowd would rather stone the PC accusing the LE NPC than believe him.Same things could be done to sense motive. Don't be afraid to let your evil mastermind outsmart PCs. Give them leads to pawns and goons. Okay, they've found a murderer, but he is just a pawn. They've talked to some henchman, but he doesn't even know the whole truth. People who see the whole picture - you can't touch them so easily. They avoid meeting PCs, they guards to throw them out instead of answering any questions. And when PCs are pushing it too far, forcing npc to speak (but even when cornered, they have high bluff and potions of glibness) - villain falls back to local laws and PCs now have problems with local authorities. Who's gonna tolerate a bully now? A bunch of thugs breaking into some respectable citizen's home and making wild accusations? That fellow can sense lies? Well, what if he's a liar himself? Maybe we don't need these folks in our town.You got the idea.</blockquote>

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