
Pogybait |

Regarding Metagaming; I have a very experienced player at the table who dominates the in battle conversation with "recommendations."
Often they would take long discussions over their next courses of action (especially out of combat) for issues like how to cross the river without having to cross at Villareth ford recognizing the tactical threat is posed.
There simply comes a time when you have to put your GM hat on. I started off our last session and cautioned the party; "where you may know the various spells available in depth as player; you might of the PFSRD open and can look at the spell list; I will grant that even your bard may know ""a little bit of that"". Your characters in general do not share in that knowledge."
Play your roles or I will have to start penalizing your experience for poor role play.
I expect party members to ask the wizard "do you know of any spell to cross the river" and if he cannot think of one, they do not start listing off spells like they have +15 in Knowledge: Arcana. You say "damn" and walk away.
Likewise in battle; I limit table talk on "how to fight." Players may call out "tactics" as a free action. "Get behind him!!!" to encourage flanking or "Hold your fire I've a surprise up my sleeve" to create a delayed action.
If it crosses the boundary between description and cinematography into metagaming between the players simply penalyzing them their action for that round often is enough to get the message acoss; to JUST PLAY THE GAME not the rules.
I don't punish the players as much as it may seem.. I manage their expectations. If an ability is too powerful I tell them; if their course of actions is out of line with their character I tell them.
It' a high fantasy world; I am not beyond having Gods talk to mortals in their dreams and having them pay penance or ask for sacrifice.
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on a side note; to make encounters difficult; think 3 dimensions and removal of senses always works; demons have wings and simply placing them 20feet in the air is a great equalizer as well as archers on battlements. Losing sight, sound, touch... all can impact part dynamics. People often say you cannot cast because you are silent. Telling players they may not communicate to each other in the presence of a silence spell is something many GMs forget to do; it interupts the metagaming ability when player can only directly say their actions to the gm.