A DM Habbit - We can't help it

[GodBeastX]

I tend to make wierd people walk by players for no reason. I think other DM's do this as well. The reason is simply, reaction. It's a ping test.

You see, 100 people could walk by a person in a town. If a guy walks by with necromancer over his head and nods "Good day". Players try to force a reason to interact with things like "That man was strange" or they stop them "Sir!". This is a no no. He is exactly what he is, a man who just walked by and greeted you. To you he's no necromancer, if you want to ask the DM's "Do I notice anything strange" we would likely tell you if you should

People tend to get bonus Exp who don't react at all, "Seemed normal to me".

[Maxx Powers]

So if my character sees an npc called "Druid," that, when examined, is described like a druid, and knowing that Tavain would know what a druid looks/smells/acts like, i should still completely ignore that?

[GodBeastX]

So if my character sees an npc called "Druid," that, when examined, is described like a druid, and knowing that Tavain would know what a druid looks/smells/acts like, i should still completely ignore that?

No, lol. Obviously some people are actually wierd and you'll have to use sensibility. However, what's a necromancer smell like? Look like? Act like?

And if they walk up to you and basically tell you they're a druid, then that sort of helps too. I'm pretty sure that character said that to him

[Maxx Powers]

Ok, that makes sense, i wouldn't know the difference between a wizard and a necromancer (unless i saw necromoancy of course). So thats two different cases.

I can't remember if he said it or not, but that was not the point.

[Cheatcake]

Would you role play it was a druid if you saw someone labeled "Mean Evil Assassin of People who Call him a Druid" dressed like some druids do?

There is probably something like a druid stereotype in looks/smeel/acts, but it doesn't means everyone who acts like that is a druid or that all druids would be easily recognized like that

[Kaldaris]

Much more- hey, it's a druid.

. . . Okay, but it's no druid you know, so why care?

[GodBeastX]

We're trying to get people out of the habbit of looking at the names above something's head and more taking things at "Face value".

[OzmaDarkheart]

No, lol. Obviously some people are actually wierd and you'll have to use sensibility. However, what's a necromancer smell like? Look like? Act like?

They smell like dead bodies! They look pale and dress like emo kids! They act like necromancers!

But seriously, what about paladins? Do they get a *ping* on the detect evil if they want to?(know it's not in the system for the game but for RP purposes is it in effect?) My halfling paladin saw the "Necromancer" and I was't sure how to treat it, so I just played it like normal, but should a paladin get some sort of clue?

[GodBeastX]

They smell like dead bodies! They look pale and dress like emo kids! They act like necromancers!

But seriously, what about paladins? Do they get a *ping* on the detect evil if they want to?(know it's not in the system for the game but for RP purposes is it in effect?) My halfling paladin saw the "Necromancer" and I was't sure how to treat it, so I just played it like normal, but should a paladin get some sort of clue?

There are plans to give paladins and blackguards alignment detection abilities.

[Cheatcake]

Their detect evil thingie isn't passive, they have to waste a round concentrating and doing something like holding their holy symbol in one hand pointed at the direction they are detecting or some other thing that makes it nowhere stealthy

In most cases DMs would get a bit iffed if you started using that with no IC reason for it, besides it being something very impolite and offensive

[pook]

I asked this before and it wasn't responded to, so I'll ask again.

Why are any of these names even put over an NPC's head. Just leave it empty, or if you have to put something, leave it generic and only what you would know from looking. (Pale-skinned human or something).
I don't understand the logic behind putting a name over something just to ask everyone to ignore it.
If this guy is a necro, it should be up to me figure that out from talking to him or observing and up to me whether I want to tell anyone about it.

[GodBeastX]

I asked this before and it wasn't responded to, so I'll ask again.

Why are any of these names even put over an NPC's head. Just leave it empty, or if you have to put something, leave it generic and only what you would know from looking. (Pale-skinned human or something).
I don't understand the logic behind putting a name over something just to ask everyone to ignore it.
If this guy is a necro, it should be up to me figure that out from talking to him or observing and up to me whether I want to tell anyone about it.

Because labels make things easier to separate. If I have 30 NPCs called "Man and Woman" in my chooser, and limbo'd how do you suggest I separate them? Not to mention once people figure out what something is, they can associate it. And there is the chat window to deal with as playered read what's being said and such. I can come up with countless reasons, suffice it to say, you will have to ignore it.

Players do it every day with other character's names, why must NPCs be different?

[Cheatcake]

Would using an actual name, even if a fake one, work for both sides of that?

You would have an NPC that would blend in and not get everyone looking because he is called "Da Necro", it would still be relatively easy to find in the palette and with a fake name people who tried to metagame it would be caught easy too

[Ichbin]

The only reason why Rex and Josef reacted to him, was because someone shouted to us "Hey he looks like the guy that made all those undead in the hills." So, My character and another go investige. Before then I treated him perfectly normal...in Remi fashion of course

[RSPK]

and I want you to know, that if I run past your character, it's not intentional, but most likely lag