This is my first time hosting a PnP session, and one issue I've run into is whether to let players know the health of their enemies. Should I show them the monster's HP number, or describe in varying levels of injury? I am also planning to introduce a monster that doesn't take damage from unenchanted weapons, but am wondering how such a futile attack could be played out.
Thanks for all your answers, initially I had the impression that DnD was typically played with combat stats being shown on the board, but now I guess that isn't the norm and even if it is, it still depends on the playstyle!
Best Answer
You should avoid telling the players current/total hp values. The same is true for AC, save values, and attack bonuses of the monsters. It breaks immersion (suspension of disbelief) and also gives the players a large advantage.
Instead, describe the state of the monster. You can use the adjectives such as minor, major, serious, severe, critical, & grievous to describe the wounds the monster has suffered.
For the monsters that require magic you can describe a successful hit from a non-magical weapon that did no damage as: "You land a successful strike against the creature, however your sword did not pierce the creatures hide, causing little/no damage." The key is to signal to the player that they successfully overcame the creature's AC but are not using a weapon that can harm it.
I located a discussion thread on ways to describe DR of various forms to players here
Two goods ones I liked are as follows: