[PnP] pnp Digest, Vol 134, Issue 3

[Scott Adams]

At 11:30 AM 12/11/2016, you wrote:
>Well, you can't really stop them from reading the material.  So, 
>they are going to know.

Yeah.  Sadly.


>You have to change the descriptions a bit to make it hard to tell, 
>to obscure the identity of the critter.  Players like me read and 
>re-read the creature descriptions and if the GM uses similar words, 
>it jogs the memory.

Yeah but changing can be problematic.  Change something and then 
folks complain that 'wait it has poison? if i knew that I'd not have 
got in melee range' or 'oh so its red not white if i knew that i'd 
have used X item not Y'.  Been there done that.  :)   So on a BASIC 
random encounter I don't do much changes.  For special or planned 
then I'll do so.




>Also, if the critters are intelligent, then they will take steps to 
>cover their weaknesses.


Good point.


>For instance, if a creature takes double damage from fire, what can 
>he do physically or magically to prevent being burned?


For a tree not much :)
And saying a tree doesn't look like a tree...well :)
This is why with the Tree of Souls if i said 'you camp near a black 
tree'  Red FLAG!
You'd have left and there would be no fun.  So since it was at night 
no one could tell black tree from black night unless you actually looked ;)



>Also, they need to attack intelligently.  If a creature has a 
>weakness, it needs to attack so as not to expose it, or at least get 
>the first licks in...perhaps by ambush...or trickery...or 
>magic.  But how would the creature fight so as not to expose that 
>one area of his chest that the magic arrow wants to hit so 
>badly.  But it has to be balanced with not allowing the creatures to 
>be invulnerable.
Good stuff.
Yeah one of my best encounters ever was the kotothi Shaman attack we 
had.  I'm not sure Kiet was there.
But since he had tonah of frogs and also a talent of jump he could 
avoid and jump away.  His attacks were some of the best a npc has ever done.
or the second KS in Donara who used the chamelon affecrts inside the building.

But sometimes creaues fight X way.
It is either
Instinct, Luck or intelligence.
Instinct gives little room for change.
Luck is that first few seconds then change can be done.