D&D 5E The Gloves Are Off?

[iserith]

Unbeknownst to an unarmored character and despite the DM's sufficient telegraphing, they touched a chest that has been smeared with a dangerous contact poison. The DM describes the greasy feel of the poison and asks for a Constitution saving throw.

"Wait just a minute!" exclaims the player. "I imagine my character is wearing gloves. They have traveler's clothes on."

The DM considers this. There is nothing in the rules that says any clothing set comes with gloves, nor any armor for that matter except scale mail, chain mail, or plate which come with gauntlets at least (none of which the PC is wearing). There are no gloves in the equipment section to purchase, and the character has no magical gloves.

Is it reasonable that the player believed the clothing set they have comes with gloves that they are wearing even though it's not specifically listed on their character sheet? Does the timing of establishing this fact - after touching contact poison - matter to resolving this issue? Do you as DM side with the player's seemingly good faith belief that the character is wearing gloves or are they making that saving throw?

In short, how does this get resolved at your table?

 

[Vaalingrade]

"Ah okay. you're wearing gloves. You still feel a weird greasy feeling."

Next thing they touch gets the poison transferred to it.

Weirldy though, I don't think the game itself cares if you're wearing gloves, just that you touched the no-no juice.

 

[payn]

I cant find anything that says travelers clothes comes with gloves. If the player can show me where it does, Id go with it, but my first call on the field is nope.

Edit: I think the rules for detecting traps and saves are especially designed for this. So, you had on gloves when you came in contact with the contact poison, but then you touched your face. etc... You failed to detect it and so you failed to circumvent it.

 

[Oofta]

At my table I'd potentially have a series of rolls depending on how the PC approached the chest and what they said they did. I don't use gotcha traps like contact poison often because I don't want to slow down the game. So it's more a question of how careful the PCs are being in general, and the use of passive perception against a DC adjusted by how cautious the group is being to notice that something might be "off". In some cases I want them to be paranoid so they'll know the NPC is known to use poison or there will be some other indication.

But gloves? Sorry. Unless you stated that you put them on before you opened the chest or had some magical gloves of poison immunity it doesn't count.

 

[Greg Benage]

Depends on play priorities. If we're playing a dungeon exploration game focused on "player skill," sorry, you gotta tell me about your gloves before you start groping the chest. That's part of the game. If we're playing zero-to-hero epic fantasy, it makes total sense that you're wearing gloves and let's move on.

 

[BookTenTiger]

There are a few options:

1) Just go with the player. It's not likely this poison would have had immense consequences on the adventure. So shrug and say, "Okay, but it looks like it's still going to be difficult to open this chest without any of the substance getting on your skin."

2) Roll for it! Have the character make an Intelligence check DC 10 to see if they remembered to put on their gloves.

3) Adapt. The poison starts to soak through your glove. Touching it again will require a saving throw.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I cant find anything that says travelers clothes comes with gloves. If the player can show me where it does, Id go with it, but my first call on the field is nope.

Looking through DDB, gloves and gauntlets don't seem to exist at all in the core game, actually.

Cold Weather cloches are behind a paywall, so no idea what's in that.

Neither do underpants. Everyone is going commando.

 

[Celebrim]

Armor comes with gloves. Regular clothing does not (with the possible exception of heavy winter clothing). Light armor comes with something like soft goat or calf skin gloves. Medium armor comes with something like heavy leather gauntlets. Heavy armor comes with leather gauntlets with metal protection for surfaces. Plate comes with metal gauntlets with articulated joints that cover the outer surface of the hand and thumb and soft covering of the inner surface to allow improved grip and articulation.

Unless the character lists gloves on his character, there are assumed to be no gloves unless the character is in the habit of wearing armor everywhere.

Gloves are very annoying to wear and make it difficult to search packs or manipulate fine objects. Unless the character has said that they are using gloves and taken penalties from that before I'd have little sympathy for a player claiming they are wearing the hitherto unmentioned gloves just exactly when it is convenient.

Players that want specific truths about the fiction should establish those truths about the fiction before they become pertinent.

 

[LordEntrails]

I usually let them retcon those things. And then in something like this case follow-up up with; "After the excitement of opening the chest, you wipe the sweat from your brow and you feel an oily trail smear across your skin. Roll a Con save..."

 

[payn]

Looking through DDB, gloves and gauntlets don't seem to exist at all in the core game, actually.

Cold Weather cloches are behind a paywall, so no idea what's in that.

Neither do underpants. Everyone is going commando.

The rules also dont say your bow needs a drawstring at all to fire arrows...

Im not that level of rules strictness, but I dont like cheesing out of things where having gloves doesnt matter until it does. Thats just me.