Quote Originally Posted by Crichton View Post
Being able to apply logic like that isn't metagaming, you're right. But applying your OOC knowledge of a creature's AC, especially if that character hasn't encountered that exact creature before, very much is.

And while I don't necessarily subscribe to it, many DMs and players are of the opinion that there's a strong difference between 'that was a good swing and it hit' and 'you hit on a 15 and I missed on a 13, so we can determine its AC is between 14 and 15, which means I can use my lower bonus attack and still have a good chance to hit' Many would see the latter as absolutely metagaming. Characters don't know the numbers of the dice roll, and they don't know the numbers of their own attack bonus. They probably do know 'this attack hits harder but is harder to land hits with' though. It's all grey area, really.
As a DM, i can say my players don't do research on monsters, but finding the AC of a monster is rather easy because of course i need to tell them if they hit or miss. and in game they are not saying well i rolled a 13 so i missed, but they know they missed. that said in game if they are hitting consecutively, the character would realize this thing is easy to hit, ill put more force into it, sometimes that even internal. do you scream out every time your looking for something or flanking? most of the time my players just got full bore with PA on and if they don't hit they adjust then. ether way the rules of power attack is metagaming to a point but the players never have to say anything out loud other then, im only going -2 this turn.