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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7600582" data-attributes="member: 29398">A very high-level glance at this thread shows me this, rightly or wrongly: a general distaste for, and active avoidance of, any role-play of in-character information gathering.There's going to be times - lots and lots and lots of times - where at first glance the PCs in the fiction do not and cannot know all or any of the potential consequences of any action(s) they take, because they simply do not and cannot (yet) have all the information.&nbsp; And if the PCs don't know then nor should the players...until and unless the players through their PCs do some digging.If this liquid gets spilled, what happens?&nbsp; The floor gets wet?&nbsp; The floor gets slippery?&nbsp; The floor dissolves?&nbsp; A demon is summoned to the room?&nbsp; Everyone in the room is returned to full health and sanity?&nbsp; All the PCs see is some liquid, of amount and colour as narrated assuming it's in a see-through container.&nbsp; Any more info than that, including possible consequences of spilling it or drinking it or doing anything else with it, is not available until the players through their PCs somehow investigate for it.&nbsp; Said investigation could come via opening a container and sniffing it, and-or using whatever lore/knowledge mechanics they have available to source info on liquids that match what's here, and-or so forth.&nbsp; But it's on them to do it, and certainly not on the GM to give them the results anyway even if they don't do it.But if on seeing the containers of liquid they just walk up and smash one the GM is under no obligation whatsoever to say a word beyond simply narrating whatever happens next: any consequences - be they good, bad, or neutral - are completely self-inflicted.With the jump-the-pit example, all a player has to do to largely establish the stakes is to have her PC glance down the pit before jumping and see what's in there.&nbsp; No bottom found at 30' is going to imply a vastly different set of possible consequences for a failed jump than seeing a feathery mattress 6 feet down.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7600582, member: 29398"] A very high-level glance at this thread shows me this, rightly or wrongly: a general distaste for, and active avoidance of, any role-play of in-character information gathering. There's going to be times - lots and lots and lots of times - where at first glance the PCs in the fiction do not and cannot know all or any of the potential consequences of any action(s) they take, because they simply do not and cannot (yet) have all the information. And if the PCs don't know then nor should the players...until and unless the players through their PCs do some digging. If this liquid gets spilled, what happens? The floor gets wet? The floor gets slippery? The floor dissolves? A demon is summoned to the room? Everyone in the room is returned to full health and sanity? All the PCs see is some liquid, of amount and colour as narrated assuming it's in a see-through container. Any more info than that, including possible consequences of spilling it or drinking it or doing anything else with it, is not available until the players through their PCs somehow investigate for it. Said investigation could come via opening a container and sniffing it, and-or using whatever lore/knowledge mechanics they have available to source info on liquids that match what's here, and-or so forth. But it's on them to do it, and certainly not on the GM to give them the results anyway even if they don't do it. But if on seeing the containers of liquid they just walk up and smash one the GM is under no obligation whatsoever to say a word beyond simply narrating whatever happens next: any consequences - be they good, bad, or neutral - are completely self-inflicted. With the jump-the-pit example, all a player has to do to largely establish the stakes is to have her PC glance down the pit before jumping and see what's in there. No bottom found at 30' is going to imply a vastly different set of possible consequences for a failed jump than seeing a feathery mattress 6 feet down. [/QUOTE]

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