How much do you tell your PCs?

[the clumsy bard]

I am wondering if you guys tell your players everything when they are effected by an effect?

This is mostly in regards to 3.5 and pathfinder, but it applies to other games as well.

I will give you an example from something I was contemplating.

Ability found here

This ability says it makes the person effected treat energy as an undead.

My point is as a DM let us say someone effected a PC with this ability after a failed Save.

Do you:

A) Tell them everything in the text that they are now effected by.

B) Tell them nothing.

C) Give them some flavor regarding the fact that they feel weird and elude to them feeling undead etc?

[Kane0]

Hmm. Usually a combination of A and C, depending on how obvious it was and how much it affects them.
If they get bitten by a spider, I tell them you just got poisoned, and take X Y damage.
If they make their save vs a spell, I tell them they resist the effects of the spell but not what it would have done unless they ID the spell.
If they are completely unaware of something that dosen't effect them and make their save, I don't even tell them they pass or fail, I just note it and carry on. Most of the time at least.

[AttilaTheGeek]

In my experience as a player, it's been mostly the third. Finding out what weird thing has happened to a character is always an interesting process, at the very least.

Using the first option might sometimes break immersion ("you find this ancient and mysterious magical amulet... yeah, it's +1 to saves"), but I'd suggest telling the player in the one example you gave. Otherwise, it could be potentially deadly if the player is gravely injured and the cleric goes to Heal him/her.

If you were to say nothing, that would just be incredibly annoying when the player inevitably finds out the hard way.

[Ozfer]

I'm a hardcore roguelike player, so I have to see only give flavor according to what the character would actually feel. I think it adds a ton more fun to be affected by an unknown curse. If you are worried about accidental heal/kills, give the players some warning if they attempt a heal ("His flesh wilts before your healing light. Do you proceed").

[GoddessSune]

I'm a C with a very hard core B. I don't like the A style at all. The whole ''it is just a game'' style rubs me the wrong way. Where the DM will just say ''Ok, player Bob, the monster is scary so you role play your character Tork as being scared'' and Bob would be like ''oh, Tork is so like scared and um, acts scared and stuff.''

I know lots of people like this style, but it is not for me. I'm more ''The monster makes two attacks, the first cuts off your left arm and the second stabs you through the gut as the monster picks up your bleeding body and hurls you across the valley into the mountainside. What action would you like to take this round?" and the player(yes, the player) is more ''Woah, Tork uses his teleport to safety, right quick!"


So for the undead thing I'd sure go for the ''sick, cold feeling'' as if they were only ''somewhat'' alive. Maybe even a more 'ghostly' form around and inside the body. But never would I just tell them the crunch, that would just be a 'surprise' later: "As Selena casts cure wounds on you...the positive energy rips through your body and does damage!" (And yes this would be the spot where a certian type of player would scream ''not fair'', ''your just making things up'' or ''rocks fall, everyone dies'' and they leave the game.....)

[Tvtyrant]

I am wondering if you guys tell your players everything when they are effected by an effect?

This is mostly in regards to 3.5 and pathfinder, but it applies to other games as well.

I will give you an example from something I was contemplating.

Ability found here

This ability says it makes the person effected treat energy as an undead.

My point is as a DM let us say someone effected a PC with this ability after a failed Save.

Do you:

A) Tell them everything in the text that they are now effected by.

B) Tell them nothing.

C) Give them some flavor regarding the fact that they feel weird and elude to them feeling undead etc?

I would have them roll an arcana check or religion check (since it is magical and comes from a religions domain) and base the result off of that. "You feel weird and cold inside" would be for everyone, and if they get a 25+ on their arcana they recognize the ability and know what it does.

[Gwazi Magnum]

C would be my preferred option.

B should be avoided at all costs. Unless if it makes complete sense for them not to be aware, but if turned into undead... B makes no sense.

Though C takes some skill as a DM to implement right.
People confuse 'giving hints so the players can enjoy learning about it' with 'Telling players limited info and then unfairly leave them to fend for themselves'.

The same way many DM's confuse challenge with punishing, confuse meta-gaming with role playing, confuse DM's priority of say with DM's complete unargued control etc.

Basically, if you want to give the players limited info and make a fun game in discovering it make sure you give the players a relatively clear way to learn about it. Don't expect them to come up with the one idea you have in your head to solving.

For example: Expect them to travel to the temple of Pelor, speak to Father Jarvis and find the tome of undead curses in the ghostly graves. Without giving them any hints about it, expecting them to know exactly where to go by themselves.

Players are not the DM, they are not always going to be thinking the same thing the DM is. If the DM wants the players to do it a specific way, make something to highlight the option to them (and not a brief mention either, something so the players clearly know this is a good lead and OOC is probably something the DM is suggesting).

And if the players are slow to figure something out, do not punish them for it. It's not the players fault they are not the DM, they shouldn't be punished constantly for not thinking like somebody they're not.

If you're too worried about messing up here explain the worry to the players, they'll be more understand if mess ups like that are accidental and isn't just the DM being a jerk.

However if still unsure about that, then just go with A. It is a game, a game that is a lot more fun when treated seriously and made into a story or adventure. But people play it for fun, not so the DM can get their complete vision and way with people. It's better to just give players the description of something they have than to have them wandering blind with it only to suffer from it because the DM chose to say nothing about it.

[Mastikator]

Only tell them what their character knows. If the character feels weird, then I tell them that but only because they're supposed to feel weird.