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How much responsability you give your player?
As a DM i should (theoricly) know all the rules, spells, magic item and what not, but in
reality i prefer to focus on knowing the core mechanic and leaving the "once in a while"
rules or odd spell up to the player using them. That way i feel like i can put more of my
spare time to work on good stories and plot!
The backdrop of it, in my game, is that EACH AND EVERY GAME one of the player comes with a
spell or ability that he as no real clue on how it works! So we waist precious time searching the book,
arguing about the outcome and what not. Be it a spell, a class ability or a more obscure rule my philosophy as a DM
is YOU USE IT THEN KNOW IT!
Sometimes i feel like the players are not giving a damn and just expect me to know everything*, like a child
waiting to be feed instead to learn how to use that damn spoon! Honestly i have enouph!
A'm i wrong?
Should i invest more time trying to know everything* (wich i think would be ridiculous)?
Is it ok to leave that much responsability in the player's hands?
Your opinion!
*by knowing everything i mean knowing each and every special abiliti of a particular race/class.
Knowing all spells, what they do and how they work. The stats of all the possible companions or summon monsters, You get the point!
I don't think it's unreasonable to ask that a player is aware of the mechanics relating to everything that his character is capable of doing.
Open Excel, create a spread-sheet containing vital info (casting time, range, targets/area, save/SR, mechanical effects), kinda like the old 2e AD&D spell record sheets. Great aide for newcomers. Kinda like the 4e reference cards, only less gimmicky.
Open Excel, create a spread-sheet containing vital info (casting time, range, targets/area, save/SR, mechanical effects), kinda like the old 2e AD&D spell record sheets. Great aide for newcomers. Kinda like the 4e reference cards, only less gimmicky.
Great idea!
My $0.02:
By knowing what your players are capable of you will be able to better tailor the game and encounters for them. So, I guess I'm saying that you should have an understanding of what they can and can't do.
At the same time, you shouldn't have to explain their character to them either (provided they aren't new of course). They should come to the table ready to play.
the above idea would be a great aid to use.
I had a DM, for a time, who did not allow rulebooks at the table. He encouraged players to make note cards with pertinent information. Feats, spells, animal companions, summoned monsters, etc.
His standing rule was: "If you don't know it, you don't have it"
This rule may seem harsh to many, (including, perhaps, myself) but our group had zero wasted time flipping through books.
Time wasted flipping through note cards was perhaps 5 minutes for an entire session
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How much responsibility you give your players?
A lot. Players are *generally* expected to know how their characters work, even if they don't know all the other rules. We allow for ignorance, as a lot of the group are new/unfamiliar to d20 and only me & have played Pathfinder before, but you are expected to learn.
The DM knows *most* of the rules, but it's gonna be my responsibility to know how my Animal Companion works (and to ask for help building it before I get it) and we've told the Wizard he needs to have stats ready for his Summoned creatures.
And I think that's about how it should be.
My opinion:
Anything the PC has specifically taken effort to learn, they should be able to do it without having to flip through books.
For example:
A wizard with summon monster IV memorized better have cards (or print outs or whatever) of the relevant monsters if they intend to use them in battle.
Fighter types who have feats relating to Combat Maneuvers better know how they work and what their checks are. (cards work well for this too, as do print outs of the various abilities).
Rogues and their talents, sorc's and their blood lines, clerics and their domain powers, etc.
The things that it is "ok" to look up would be something you do not usually do- but have a sudden use for.. like a combat maneuver you aren't spec'd into but want to try out for some reason, and so on.
If the PC is supposed to know something, and they aren't prepared.. skip them.
That round their PC stands there with their thumb in their eye tryin to figure out what to do.
-S
I'm going to be the first objector.
How much responsibility do I give my players? Plenty. They are responsible for knowing what their character can and can't do. They are responsible for keeping track of consumables such as spells, spell-like abilities, gear, money, XP (session-to-session), rounds of rage used, and other special abilities. They are responsible for keeping track of unusual details such as the Fleet feat, arcane spell failure for armored mages, and the location of their familiars.
Thing is I as a DM am responsible for all of the above and for keeping the game running. I need to know all of that. The original poster suggests a "me and them" divide of responsibility. They're responsible for X and I'm responsible for Y. I disagree. You're responsible for X and Y. You absolutely should know the rules of the abilities your players are using. If your ability to produce good plot and stories is compromised by the time it would take to learn a few odd abilities, you need to manage your time better in my opinion. I'm not suggesting you have every spell memorized. I'm not even suggesting you have every spell your players might try to cast memorized. But when a player tells you that bless gives everyone a +1 per caster level morale bonus to attacks, you should be scratching your head, saying "wait, are you sure... something seems wrong". You should have enough familiarity to catch player mistakes.
That all being said... there's some really good advice given here. Augmented summons... absolutely should be statted before a session or they don't get used. One-off spells known that come from a 3rd-party book should absolutely be written on a card or on the character sheet. Then when weird or even new things get used, the whole game should come to a screeching halt as everyone reads, re-reads, and reads again until everyone understands the ability or spell. That way the DM knows how it works, the player knows how it works, and the other players know how it works. "Hey, Doug... can you use that magic whatsit spell on my rogue... it had a thing in there that would help him right now!"
DMing is work. I get it you're frustrated your players aren't doing theirs, but I strongly get the impression I'd be frustrated you aren't doing yours.
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Not every GM runs things the same. Not all PCs are old time veterans of the game. I expect in the early levels of a game to spend a certain amount of time nailing down the rules and how they work in a new game. Later on everyone is on the same page and game flows smoother.
With that said how long have you been gaming with these folks? I would guess its a newer game with people who haven't played much together. Give it time but if I am wrong they might just not have the same level of commitment that you do.
So I guess personally, yes I expect a certain level of player knowledge concerning how their character should work. I do not expect them to not have questions about how something they have never used before works. At the beginning of a new campaign I always expect a slow start until everyone gets in the grove including the GM. If that grove never develops then I might consider leaving that game because its just not working out.