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I'm going to have my group fight a graveknigt, but they won't know that. Is it okay for me not to tell them that what they fought and killed was a graveknight?
I mean, should I tell them to roll knowledge, or should I just let them choose to make a check if they want to before trying on the armour?
Also, should I use my DMPC to warn them away, or would that also sorta be lame?
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Don't give them the choice to roll knowledge, just roll it. Players asking to make checks is a sign of engagement, that's good. But if they don't pick up on your descriptions that Know (X) is an appropriate skill, they may never ask. And this is something the PCs should have available to them passively, intuitively.
As far as using a DMPC, roll for him too. If he rolls high enough, but they don't, have him warn them away. If not, he simply doesn't know what you do.
Did they ID it with knowledge (religion)? If not, they haven't heard about the armor's properties.
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I'm going to have my group fight a graveknigt, but they won't know that. Is it okay for me not to tell them that what they fought and killed was a graveknight?
I mean, should I tell them to roll knowledge, or should I just let them choose to make a check if they want to before trying on the armour?
Also, should I use my DMPC to warn them away, or would that also sorta be lame?
Make the roll for any pc who has the knowledge(religion) necessary to identify it. If they ID it, inform the player what their character knows about it based on your roll.
If a player with a PC who has KN:Religion asks to make a roll, go ahead and allow it.
If the DMPC has knowledge:religion, make the roll for him/her. If not, how would the DMPC know any more than the players' characters?
In any case, only tell them what the roll (if any) reveals. Part of the fun of roleplaying is actually discovering new things about monsters, and unless the characters have the actual means to already know something, it is "lame" to just give them that knowledge, whether through DMPC or just basic info dumping. Reward the characters for having ranks in knowledge skills, otherwise what would be the point?
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In my experience, roleplayers with experience will be wary of everything. If your group is experienced, I would only give them what they ask for with knowledge rolls. If they are less experience, I would go easier on them either with making free knowledge checks secretly behind a GM screen for them (players know that when they roll a 1 on a knowledge check they've lost) or through your DMPC. I would hesitate to use the DMPC, though.
I am unfamiliar with the graveknight. Is it really that bad?
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Graveknight Armor
In death, the graveknight's life force lingers on in its armor, not its corpse, in much the same way that a lich's essence is bound within a phylactery. Unless every part of a graveknight's armor is ruined along with its body, a graveknight can rejuvenate after it is destroyed. A typical suit of full plate graveknight armor has hardness 10 and 45 hit points, though armor with enhancements or made of special materials proves more difficult to destroy. Merely breaking a graveknight's armor does not destroy it; it must be ruined, such as by being disintegrated, taken to the Positive Energy Plane, or thrown into the heart of a volcano.
Rejuvenation (Su):
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Do the PCs have any in-game reason to know what a graveknight is, that one is active in the region, or to suspect that they have just encountered one?
What sort of condition will the armour be in?
Will it be full of spider webs, maggots, flies eating the jellified or crusty remains of the previous occupant?
That might make them delay putting it on until it's been cleaned.
They might also need to take it to an armourer to be re-sized for a true fit. Just because two characters fall into the same size bracket of 'Medium' creatures, doesn't mean they can swap clothes and armour without squeezing, chafing or hanging loose. Shaquille O'Neill and Danny DeVito are identical size in D&D, they even have the same reach!
Mystery adds fun. I agree with the knowledge checks to tell what it is.
Also, the creature regenerates when you want it to. Going easy on them could simply mean that they notice it regenerating while so and so is wearing it. Or it comes after them in a not completely inconvenient time. It's up to you!
Concur with the knowledge: religion check. I would probably also allow a knowledge: dungeoneering check with a slight circumstance penalty. If the graveknight has been haunting the vicinity for a while, I might even allow a "knowledge: local" check to see if there is some rumor of some weird armor.
I would roll the checks secretly and provide the appropriate information privately to any who succeed in the check.
The armor would be pretty disgusting in my campaigns. I doubt many PCs would want to try it on after the description I would give of it. I'm not sure what is supposed to happen if someone did actually try it on. That might be fun to work out.
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When something is enchanted like that, especially something dark and evil-y, I typically make an offhand comment similar to
"after defeating the creature, as you stand looking over its body, you can feel an almost palpable sense of foreboding radiating off the armor it wore..."
and let my players decide then and there how much exploration/knowledge gathering they want to make.
Besides, it gives me opportunity to use the word "palpable" in a sentence.
Spellcraft could also be an applicable skill if one of the party members decides to check out the magic armor and identify its properties.
tell them nothing! that is the whole fun of it, if they ask to make a check have them make a check ,but how many times do you know the sandwich you bought at the 7-11 is expired with out checking the label.
I'm going to have my group fight a graveknigt, but they won't know that. Is it okay for me not to tell them that what they fought and killed was a graveknight?
I mean, should I tell them to roll knowledge, or should I just let them choose to make a check if they want to before trying on the armour?
Also, should I use my DMPC to warn them away, or would that also sorta be lame?
I think knowledge checks are automatic. If I am sitting on my porch and a 1966 Mustang rolls by and I recognize it as a mustang then I just made a knowledge check.
Some GM's make players call for it. If I were you I would strive to be consistent in either event. If they can't beat the enounter then I would either tone it down or give hints if you know they are not the type to investigate on their own.
Slightly off-topic, but what happens if a PC is wearing that armor when it starts to regenerate?
Slightly off-topic, but what happens if a PC is wearing that armor when it starts to regenerate?
The rules don't say, but they do say the armor forms over the remains so I would rule that the armor can not be detached from the remains or make up something saying the armor leave the PC either by teleporting or flying away and goes back to the body of the graveknight.
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If they have Kn:religion, I would make a secret roll to see if they recognize it. If not and one of them attempts to use the armor, I would allow them to notice that even after they had cleaned the armor prior to using it, it become grossly encrusted on the inside and if that fails to get them to check it further, it becomes slimy and covered in what appears to decayed flesh. They will probably figure it out soon.
Slightly off-topic, but what happens if a PC is wearing that armor when it starts to regenerate?The rules don't say, but they do say the armor forms over the remains so I would rule that the armor can not be detached from the remains or make up something saying the armor leave the PC either by teleporting or flying away and goes back to the body of the graveknight.
found this in the SPRD
People who claim a graveknight’s armor rarely recognize the threat until too late, as part of the magic of the rejuvenation makes wearers oblivious to the invasion of their own bodies. When they take the armor off to sleep, they overlook the puncture marks and deep fissures upon their skin. Some sinister instinct also causes them to conceal these wounds from their companions. Only the particularly observant (and a DC 25 Perception check) perceive the peril in time help their friend cast aside the armor.
Once the rejuvenation period ends 1d10 days later, the wearer must make a Will save (DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the graveknight’s HD + the graveknight’s Cha modifier) each day to avoid transforming into the original graveknight. This transformation consumes mind as well as body, immediately slaying the victim and utterly destroying the body.
It was in a sidebar, which I ignored. Thanks
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Perhaps insteda of rolling, would any of them, if they took 10, recognize what they fought? If so, then they may have heard the the graveknight's armour is cursed. A subsequent role would then be more appropriate for greater detail.
Or have the DMPC wear it... and make a tragic story where he is taken over by the armour, losing himself, body and soul. (DMPCs make great cat's paws for this... they rarely object to being components of a plot device)
He can't. He's a squishy cleric.
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Concur with the knowledge: religion check. I would probably also allow a knowledge: dungeoneering check with a slight circumstance penalty. If the graveknight has been haunting the vicinity for a while, I might even allow a "knowledge: local" check to see if there is some rumor of some weird armor.
I would roll the checks secretly and provide the appropriate information privately to any who succeed in the check.
Agreed; I'm very much a believer that some clues should be accessible via multiple sources.
Knowledge (nobility) could allow a PC to recognise the original owner of the armour; "This is a Taldorian crest of the d'Amberville family, I'm sure this is the second son, who marched to war against Tar-Baphon...so this is what happened to him...or did someone steal his armour?...hmmm, this deserves further investigation...".
And, yes, secret checks for certain Knowledges are a must, IMO.
Not least, because if you're telling the players to roll against a specific skill, you're already giving a lot away.
Player 1: "Do I recognise this overly-friendly traveller?"
GM: "Roll knowledge arcana."
Player 1: "Arcana? That's a bit random, isn't it?"
Player 2: "Say, we only found one red dragon back at that nest, but not the mate. Don't the older ones have the power to shapeshift?"
GM: <gaaaaaaaaaaaaah>