Is a character aware when they encounter resistance or vulnerability on a creature? Would they only notice if they rolled a perception check? What would such a check be based on? Perhaps only if they see one type of damage resisted and another type not. Maybe after a certain amount of damage is resisted the character becomes aware. The argument would be similar for vulnerability.
Personally, I don't tell my players when this happens. If they roll for perception when they attack as their action, I tell them some thing that it looks "ineffective" by describing the creature. One thing you can do is describe the creature after every attack. After an attack it has vulnerability to, it staggers backward, clutching itself as its flesh melts away (vulnerability to fire damage). After an attack it has resistance to, it suddenly looks back at your, a glare of intensity and it doesn't seem harmed whatsoever by your attack. That is one way to do it, or just don't tell them. I always like to keep my players guessing, sometimes not telling them what it's weaknesses or strengths were. They might take a while on one monster, whereas another one might go down in very few hits. It depends on what your players do.
Questions for YOU as a DM (About your players)
Do your players take advantage if they know something about a monster, trap, etc?
Ex. Kark the Kenku Rogue has been reading through the DMG lately and he has seen the traps section so he knows that he has to roll a 14 or higher DEX save to not get hit, so he asks the Bard to give him Bardic Inspiration or asks the Cleric to cast Enhance Ability.
Are your players aggressive Meta players who find exploits and overpowered solutions?
Ex. Janti the Druid saw this video on YouTube that showed that she can cast this 4th level spell and turn her entire party into T-Rexes and used it in combat
What will your players do given the opportunity to cheat?
Ex. Stephen, the DM left his seat to go to the bathroom and Arthur, playing Blarf Straddlewick (Don't steal this awesome character I created...) a human without a class, goes up and looks at the notes, seeing what the next encounter is.
What is their standpoint on combat? *Important*
Ex. Daxl the Fighter loves to fight things. Any NPC, monster, you name it, he will attack.
Ex. Krimh the Ranger is a peaceful spirit and will only attack something if it is attacking her
Ex. Your party will try to avoid combat (Spells, Stealth checks, etc)
And lastly, Does your group care about what happens behind the screen? *Important*
Ex. Max and Shaun, playing twin swashbucklers, always worry that the DM is fudging dice rolls, so they always tell the DM to roll outside of his/her screen
Ex. Phillip doesn't care what the DM does, even if he/she fudges combat to be a TPK, an insanely easy encounter, or something else.
If you can answer these questions about your group, I will try to give you the best approach for these things. Happy DMing!
I tell my players, but I try to phrase is in in-game terms. "Your crossbow bolt hits the target, but the creature seems to take the piercing damage much better than you would have expected." It gets the point across.
I use descriptions of the monster's reaction, movements, and severity of wounds to indicate damage effectiveness and remaining HP without telling them out right.
An intelligent creature might try to hide its weaknesses, for that you can role the monster's deception or performance against the groups passive insight or investigation.
I think (at my table) each damaging attack will allow a DC 10 perception check to recognize either feature. Once it is recognized by a player, the whole party knows (unless there are special circumstances). Advantage and disadvantage to be applied as appropriate i.e. the fighter saw the wizards fire damage and has compared it to their own "resisted" attacks might get advantage. Or a barbarian in a rage may have disadvantage to notice skeletons(vulnerability to bludgeoning) exploding on contact with the maul the barbarian is swinging wildly!
I would say a ranger facing a favoured enemy should be be given their advantage intelligence(favoured enemy feature) check to recall these features before an attack is made.
The DC 10 is low enough that the party will very likely discover the feature during the encounter. The players, however, are not just given the information. They have to reveal it through action and role play.
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Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.
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Is a character aware when they encounter resistance or vulnerability on a creature? Would they only notice if they rolled a perception check? What would such a check be based on? Perhaps only if they see one type of damage resisted and another type not. Maybe after a certain amount of damage is resisted the character becomes aware. The argument would be similar for vulnerability.
thoughts?
Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.
Personally, I don't tell my players when this happens. If they roll for perception when they attack as their action, I tell them some thing that it looks "ineffective" by describing the creature. One thing you can do is describe the creature after every attack. After an attack it has vulnerability to, it staggers backward, clutching itself as its flesh melts away (vulnerability to fire damage). After an attack it has resistance to, it suddenly looks back at your, a glare of intensity and it doesn't seem harmed whatsoever by your attack. That is one way to do it, or just don't tell them. I always like to keep my players guessing, sometimes not telling them what it's weaknesses or strengths were. They might take a while on one monster, whereas another one might go down in very few hits. It depends on what your players do.
Questions for YOU as a DM (About your players)
If you can answer these questions about your group, I will try to give you the best approach for these things. Happy DMing!
it's been a long time...
I tell my players, but I try to phrase is in in-game terms. "Your crossbow bolt hits the target, but the creature seems to take the piercing damage much better than you would have expected." It gets the point across.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I figure it is obvious to seasoned combatants when their attacks don't seem to be as effective as usual, so I let them know.
I use descriptions of the monster's reaction, movements, and severity of wounds to indicate damage effectiveness and remaining HP without telling them out right.
An intelligent creature might try to hide its weaknesses, for that you can role the monster's deception or performance against the groups passive insight or investigation.
Thanks for the replies all,
I think (at my table) each damaging attack will allow a DC 10 perception check to recognize either feature. Once it is recognized by a player, the whole party knows (unless there are special circumstances). Advantage and disadvantage to be applied as appropriate i.e. the fighter saw the wizards fire damage and has compared it to their own "resisted" attacks might get advantage. Or a barbarian in a rage may have disadvantage to notice skeletons(vulnerability to bludgeoning) exploding on contact with the maul the barbarian is swinging wildly!
I would say a ranger facing a favoured enemy should be be given their advantage intelligence(favoured enemy feature) check to recall these features before an attack is made.
The DC 10 is low enough that the party will very likely discover the feature during the encounter. The players, however, are not just given the information. They have to reveal it through action and role play.
Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.