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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7151412" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>In my experience and given the accounts of the countless DMs who take issue with Observant characters (or the equivalent) in the seemingly weekly posts on the matter, the solution that is most overlooked is the one I posted upthread. Nobody has a problem with the character being particularly observant in a <em>given</em> thing - it's when they're walking into a chamber and spotting the hidden monster, the trap, all the clues, AND the secret door without saying anything.</p><p></p><p>But the rules in Chapter 8 of the Adventuring rules that cover "traveling" (a word I don't think should be confused with overland travel or the like since dungeons are referenced therein and pace is broken down to feet and minutes rather than just miles) talk about how a PC can only really focus on one task at a time (for the most part) and that position matters.</p><p></p><p>DMs who employ these rules in my experience no longer take issue with Observant characters since the player is still going to be good at noticing things, <em>but only those things the player states the character is focusing on</em> - hidden threats OR secret doors OR other clues, not ALL of them at the same time. The player needs to pick a task and be reasonably specific as to positioning and activity. They don't get to make the choice on the character sheet and that's the end of their involvement.</p><p></p><p>Edit: Also, for those concerned this is a "nerf," it only appears that way if you haven't been taking into account all the various rules in the book that apply to resolving this mechanic including the rules references above and that of passive checks. So if a player is going to get all "RAW!" on you for some reason, ruling it this way has plenty of rules back-up if you need it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7151412, member: 97077"] In my experience and given the accounts of the countless DMs who take issue with Observant characters (or the equivalent) in the seemingly weekly posts on the matter, the solution that is most overlooked is the one I posted upthread. Nobody has a problem with the character being particularly observant in a [I]given[/I] thing - it's when they're walking into a chamber and spotting the hidden monster, the trap, all the clues, AND the secret door without saying anything. But the rules in Chapter 8 of the Adventuring rules that cover "traveling" (a word I don't think should be confused with overland travel or the like since dungeons are referenced therein and pace is broken down to feet and minutes rather than just miles) talk about how a PC can only really focus on one task at a time (for the most part) and that position matters. DMs who employ these rules in my experience no longer take issue with Observant characters since the player is still going to be good at noticing things, [I]but only those things the player states the character is focusing on[/I] - hidden threats OR secret doors OR other clues, not ALL of them at the same time. The player needs to pick a task and be reasonably specific as to positioning and activity. They don't get to make the choice on the character sheet and that's the end of their involvement. Edit: Also, for those concerned this is a "nerf," it only appears that way if you haven't been taking into account all the various rules in the book that apply to resolving this mechanic including the rules references above and that of passive checks. So if a player is going to get all "RAW!" on you for some reason, ruling it this way has plenty of rules back-up if you need it. [/QUOTE]
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