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DM is giving too much info away

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
bigk1
Sep 22, 2010 19:42:32 I am in a new playgroup and at the end of the last session he tells us what we will be fighting in the next encounter during the next session and that we will need to plan out tactics. The thing is he told us the lvl and class of the npc. I kinda feel like if I look up the critter its cheating as my in game character wouldn't know any of this info.

I am leaning towards looking it up for the simple fact its a lvl 13 blighter against a 6 lvl 7 pcs which I think may be a bit too much for us to handle. I am playing a mounted charger so my main plan is to just try and get as much spike dmg as possible and hope the dm rolls bad on 50 dmg save.

At the end of the last session we ran away from this npc after he cast comet fall on half the group and nearly killed all 3.
#2
zmortis
Sep 22, 2010 19:56:54 It seems a tricky proposition you have there. Personally as a DM I prefer my players be relatively in the dark about the full capabilities of what they are up against. I don't mind if they have a generalized knowledge as they see the competition, but in no way should they be aware of all the tricks in its bag until they witness them in action.

It seems like your DM is a touch uncertain about the appropriateness of the challenge he has put forth, and is fishing for player feedback about it. In this case I would take the opportunity to take the DM aside between sessions, and discuss his potential concerns about play balance. It may also be time to have a frank talk out of character with the whole group about how everyone feels about the chance of a TPK and their game plan if one happens.

I hope this helps.
#3
kenlar
Sep 23, 2010 3:17:06 Well, to me it seems like the DM wants you to let him know if it would be too hard an encounter. Normally, 6 PCs can easily defeat an enemy 6 levels higher (we were four players at level 9 and defeated a level 15 dragon, so...), it will just be difficult. The only reason why he should warn you about such a hard encounter, would be so you don't get completely pissed off, when this NPC fries one or two PCs. Usually, DMs should only throw the party against such a powerful opponent if the players ask if they can get to fight one, or if it is important for the plot to move on that the party loses the battle (though they wouldn't die, then).

Generally, DMs shouldn't tell the players what they will be fighting next session. This takes away the entire element of surprise (which is just about 25-30% of the fun). If you want this extra 25-30% more fun, tell him not to give you any spoilers. Your characters don't know what awaits them, unless they've studied the history of a certain place, and neither should you as players. Let your DM know that, so he can avoid that mistake next time.
#4
chaosturtle
Sep 23, 2010 10:50:06 Is the Dm new? How do the other players feel about this?
#5
FlashbackJon
Sep 23, 2010 11:50:39 It's possible he feels that your characters know more about combat and tactics than you do, and is simply allowing you all time to work stuff out in advance that your characters might be able communicate in the first few seconds of combat?

Other than that, if he's not telling you the actual monster, just don't look it up. If he is, ask him (at the table with the other players) if he expects the players to look it up.
#6
bigk1
Sep 23, 2010 13:26:25 He isn't new just rusty. 3 members of our playgroup including the dm haven't played in years and this campaign is meant to knock the rust off. After talking with some buds who have way more experience than me actually told me to look it up and let him know something is up with the blighter. Apparently blighters lose the ability to cast druid spells when they become a blighter. I still haven't looked it up half because I consider it cheating and the other half is I really hope he isn't forgeting something that important.

The encounter takes place on a path through a forest so I think I am going to organize the 6 of us into 2 man squads and try and nuke the blighter. Myself(mounted paladin) and the dwarf fighter will charge down the road while the cleric and evoker take the right through the woods. Evoker nukes and cleric is there to turn any undead animal companions he may have. On the side of the path in the forest have the ranger and rogue use hide checks and hope for another nice dmg spike. By using a combination of concealment and flanking I am hoping to keep him from devastating us with aoe's. So pretty much the fighter and I will get crushed but the other 4 should be able to finish him.
#7
LordOfWeasels
Sep 27, 2010 12:21:04
He isn't new just rusty.

You haven't mentioned if you're playing D&D or D20. The presence of "evoker", "blighter", and "loses Druid spell when he becomes a Blighter" seems like D20 to me, though.

Either way, ask the DM to please stop giving you so much advance warning - you'd prefer to have only what your characters should have. Which might include "higher-level than you undead-heavy ex-druid! Coming up fast!"

#8
bigk1
Sep 27, 2010 19:09:49 We are playing 3.5 its just anything printed by WOTC is fair game. He copped out on us though. He said in retrospect that it would have been too much for the group to handle. Instead he threw us into 2 encounters filled with ghosts and wights. 2 of our pcs were hit with slam attack and then failed their save for the negative levels. Honestly if I wasn't a pally I could have seen it going alot worse w/o being able to spam turn checks. So now we have 4 lvl 7s and 2 lvl6 pcs in a lvl 10 campaign. So its about to get pretty darn interesting.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 bigk1 Sep 22, 2010 19:42:32	I am in a new playgroup and at the end of the last session he tells us what we will be fighting in the next encounter during the next session and that we will need to plan out tactics. The thing is he told us the lvl and class of the npc. I kinda feel like if I look up the critter its cheating as my in game character wouldn't know any of this info. I am leaning towards looking it up for the simple fact its a lvl 13 blighter against a 6 lvl 7 pcs which I think may be a bit too much for us to handle. I am playing a mounted charger so my main plan is to just try and get as much spike dmg as possible and hope the dm rolls bad on 50 dmg save. At the end of the last session we ran away from this npc after he cast comet fall on half the group and nearly killed all 3.
#2 zmortis Sep 22, 2010 19:56:54	It seems a tricky proposition you have there. Personally as a DM I prefer my players be relatively in the dark about the full capabilities of what they are up against. I don't mind if they have a generalized knowledge as they see the competition, but in no way should they be aware of all the tricks in its bag until they witness them in action. It seems like your DM is a touch uncertain about the appropriateness of the challenge he has put forth, and is fishing for player feedback about it. In this case I would take the opportunity to take the DM aside between sessions, and discuss his potential concerns about play balance. It may also be time to have a frank talk out of character with the whole group about how everyone feels about the chance of a TPK and their game plan if one happens. I hope this helps.
#3 kenlar Sep 23, 2010 3:17:06	Well, to me it seems like the DM wants you to let him know if it would be too hard an encounter. Normally, 6 PCs can easily defeat an enemy 6 levels higher (we were four players at level 9 and defeated a level 15 dragon, so...), it will just be difficult. The only reason why he should warn you about such a hard encounter, would be so you don't get completely pissed off, when this NPC fries one or two PCs. Usually, DMs should only throw the party against such a powerful opponent if the players ask if they can get to fight one, or if it is important for the plot to move on that the party loses the battle (though they wouldn't die, then). Generally, DMs shouldn't tell the players what they will be fighting next session. This takes away the entire element of surprise (which is just about 25-30% of the fun). If you want this extra 25-30% more fun, tell him not to give you any spoilers. Your characters don't know what awaits them, unless they've studied the history of a certain place, and neither should you as players. Let your DM know that, so he can avoid that mistake next time.
#4 chaosturtle Sep 23, 2010 10:50:06	Is the Dm new? How do the other players feel about this?
#5 FlashbackJon Sep 23, 2010 11:50:39	It's possible he feels that your characters know more about combat and tactics than you do, and is simply allowing you all time to work stuff out in advance that your characters might be able communicate in the first few seconds of combat? Other than that, if he's not telling you the actual monster, just don't look it up. If he is, ask him (at the table with the other players) if he expects the players to look it up.
#6 bigk1 Sep 23, 2010 13:26:25	He isn't new just rusty. 3 members of our playgroup including the dm haven't played in years and this campaign is meant to knock the rust off. After talking with some buds who have way more experience than me actually told me to look it up and let him know something is up with the blighter. Apparently blighters lose the ability to cast druid spells when they become a blighter. I still haven't looked it up half because I consider it cheating and the other half is I really hope he isn't forgeting something that important. The encounter takes place on a path through a forest so I think I am going to organize the 6 of us into 2 man squads and try and nuke the blighter. Myself(mounted paladin) and the dwarf fighter will charge down the road while the cleric and evoker take the right through the woods. Evoker nukes and cleric is there to turn any undead animal companions he may have. On the side of the path in the forest have the ranger and rogue use hide checks and hope for another nice dmg spike. By using a combination of concealment and flanking I am hoping to keep him from devastating us with aoe's. So pretty much the fighter and I will get crushed but the other 4 should be able to finish him.
#7 LordOfWeasels Sep 27, 2010 12:21:04	He isn't new just rusty. You haven't mentioned if you're playing D&D or D20. The presence of "evoker", "blighter", and "loses Druid spell when he becomes a Blighter" seems like D20 to me, though. Either way, ask the DM to please stop giving you so much advance warning - you'd prefer to have only what your characters should have. Which might include "higher-level than you undead-heavy ex-druid! Coming up fast!"
#8 bigk1 Sep 27, 2010 19:09:49	We are playing 3.5 its just anything printed by WOTC is fair game. He copped out on us though. He said in retrospect that it would have been too much for the group to handle. Instead he threw us into 2 encounters filled with ghosts and wights. 2 of our pcs were hit with slam attack and then failed their save for the negative levels. Honestly if I wasn't a pally I could have seen it going alot worse w/o being able to spam turn checks. So now we have 4 lvl 7s and 2 lvl6 pcs in a lvl 10 campaign. So its about to get pretty darn interesting.