If a party comes to a wrong conclusion about an enemy or creates

>>50625129
Personally I reward my players for thinking up strategies instead of just hitting something until it stops moving. In a situation like that I wouldn't just give it to them, though. I'd try to figure out an excuse for their strategy to fail while showing them the real weakness they need to exploit.

If there's a golem whose only weakness is on its back and they come up with an elaborate plan to break off its head then if it succeeds I'd say the golem stumbles or something like that to reveal the huge glowing weakpoint.

Don't give them a victory for jumping to the wrong conclusion, but reward them for their willingness to actually plan.

>>50625129
It depends. Generally speaking, I let the chips fall where they will, but if it's going to lead to something boring then I might adjust things. I adjust things to avoid a TPK when it's my fault as the DM (ie, something was a LOT stronger than I expected or I forgot to tell the party something they should know) but if it's the fault of the party, they can enjoy their deaths (or be smart and retreat).

>>50625129

If you balanced the encounters semi-decently and made it clear to the party they always have the option to set traps, use misdirection, scout ahead of time, or gods forbit- run away- you aren't in the wrong to let them suffer consequences.

This thread will result in a massive shitpost fest

That being said, I'm getting in on the ground floor by saying that it's a game, you know your party far better than any of us anonymous neckbeards, do what you think will be most fun.

My party, for example, is acutely aware that my stories aren't happy ones and no result is guaranteed. Nothing in my campaigns is ever easy, or straightforward, and they pretty much expect that if they don't play well, or roll like shit, they will be re rolling before the end of the campaign. Likely more than once. But they like that. When they win, they have really won. The villains are really trying to kill them, and if something goes wrong during any combat, they potentially could end up dead.

Even so, from time to time I do modify things if it seems thematically appropriate, better suits my story, or I just have a bit of whimsy. End of the day, it's a game which you build with your players. If they aren't having fun, I GUARANTEE you won't either.

>>50625174
Building on this, I'd add in opportunities to either know the thing off the tops of their heads, or else learn it in character. If the players' oversight is something I think would just let them know without rolling. Say, "it occurs to you that [complication] would make the current plan backfire".

Either that, or allow the unforseen element to act as a complication to the party's plan.

I'd om with failing if my failure became an opportunity. Hopefully we can survive and use this new knowledge to make a better plan for next time. I'd grumble about failing but look forward to getting my revenge because, if it wasn't before, NOW it's personal.

>>50625331
Umm...

I'd om = I'd be ok

(Damn phone)

Needs more information. Why did they come to the wrong conclusion? Why can't the strategy work?

As the GM, you have all the information. As the players, they have only the information you give them. You should consider the possibility that they came to the wrong conclusion because you didn't give them all the information their characters should have.

>>50625598
Their characters should probably have asked better questions or spoken to the right people

The in-game universe is what it is.

I don't cheat by changing things arbitrarily in order to subvert the players' actions and decisions.

Even if they've made bad decisions and changing things would work in their favor, it's still robbing the players of their agency.

>bending rules or changing scenarios just to keep your players alive

That makes for boring adventures. If there's no risk of death then it makes the game dull and just a murderhobo lootfest. Sometimes people make mistakes and sometimes that leads to character death, and that makes for good adventuring.

If your players are all the kind of people who can't fathom their character dying, then I recommend finding a new group.