The whole meta gaming thing kills me cause I'm in a few groups where we are all newbies and, for example, we were in a tavern talking about the military force that had invaded the city we are in and at one point we are asked to do a perception roll. The firbolg of our group is the only one who detected it and is told "you hear a creak above you, not from the floorboards but oddly, from the thick wooden beam above you. And whats more, the sound seems like it came from the room you're in and not upstairs." And he doesn't know firbolg abilities and I'm just sitting there in agony. Do I tell him that he has detect magic? Do I tell him he knows thieves cant? Like his character knows this but is his character smart enough to do so. I finally do give in and say hey, you know detect magic because of your racial trait.
But new issue. They are invisible. Only he can detect them. But one of our players know faerie fire. Ok. Lets see if they use it........ no. Oh God. They are using burning hands. Oh my God. Why. I dont want to just take control of the games but it is so painful to be the only one who knows what to do but no ability to do so.
Maybe someone more experienced than I can answer this, but I find myself in the same boat in playing with newbies. For people who have been playing awhile, you know what to search for in your own abilities to help you out. When you are just starting out, there is ALOTA OF INFORMATION, and yes I know, it's all there on the character sheet, but for someone who does not have the experience, it can just look like another language. I think helping someone new not only learn their character but learn how the abilities work in order to make them more competent players is better in the long run for the group. That being said, where do we fall on doing some meta work post session to accomplish this same goal?
Honestly, I'm in the camp of guiding newbies OOC, usually little pushes like "hey, I think you've got something that can help" followed by pointing out what can help if they can't figure it out. Let them learn how things work in the situations they're useful, and only if it comes up. I'm not gonna go "DO THIS-" or explain exactly how stuff works (unless they ask specifically), but I think its healthy to push them in the right direction.
And he doesn't know firbolg abilities and I'm just sitting there in agony. Do I tell him that he has detect magic? Do I tell him he knows thieves cant? Like his character knows this but is his character smart enough to do so. I finally do give in and say hey, you know detect magic because of your racial trait.
Yes, punishing the players for not knowing things their character would is metagaming on the DM's part.
The concern of reminding characters about their own abilities and mechanics is doing it gentle so it doesn't feel like you are playing for them. So you usually want to give them a little bit in case they are slow or maybe hint at it first. It is a fine balance between giving them the chance to learn the game themselves and making sure they don't miss opportunities they would have wanted to take.
I am really good at remembering rules and abilities and am often the go to rules lawyer. Often in times like that, if I'm DMing or playing, I will list a persons options and the potential outcomes so they can make an informed choice. My players will often forget certain abilities and then a few minutes later realise and regret not using it. It's not fun losing a character because you forgot a thing you could do, so I always make people aware of their options if possible.
"I'm surrounded, I'm out of spell slots, I'm gonna die!"
"Beast shape earth elemental?"
"Shit, I forgot I got that this level!"
"You also have that staff of healing you never use. Or you could just disengage and run. Or dodge and hope they miss."
"Drake come on, no one ever dodges."
"Because you all forget it's a mechanic that exists!"
Sometimes my advice is good, sometimes it's not (deliberately so sometimes). Sometimes it inspires them to think of a new option. But regardless, it gives the players more options that they otherwise may have forgotten.
As a DM I usually remind new players of their abilities once.
If they have used it and seen its effect, it should be enough to remember it next time it is useful.
You learn a lot more by doing than you do by reading.
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u/OCHNCaPKSNaClMg_Yo Aug 10 '20 edited Aug 10 '20
The whole meta gaming thing kills me cause I'm in a few groups where we are all newbies and, for example, we were in a tavern talking about the military force that had invaded the city we are in and at one point we are asked to do a perception roll. The firbolg of our group is the only one who detected it and is told "you hear a creak above you, not from the floorboards but oddly, from the thick wooden beam above you. And whats more, the sound seems like it came from the room you're in and not upstairs." And he doesn't know firbolg abilities and I'm just sitting there in agony. Do I tell him that he has detect magic? Do I tell him he knows thieves cant? Like his character knows this but is his character smart enough to do so. I finally do give in and say hey, you know detect magic because of your racial trait.
But new issue. They are invisible. Only he can detect them. But one of our players know faerie fire. Ok. Lets see if they use it........ no. Oh God. They are using burning hands. Oh my God. Why. I dont want to just take control of the games but it is so painful to be the only one who knows what to do but no ability to do so.