Finally getting around to properly creating a character in preparation for my first A5e game, but I am finding some things are... less than clear. At the moment, I am trying to figure out what I am intended to do with passive checks. In the AG, it says:
"To determine a character’s total for a passive check, add 10 + all the modifiers that normally apply to the check."
To me, this says that the only things I should be adding to the base of 10 are any modifiers that are always added. So if I'm proficient, I add my proficiency bonus, if I have expertise, I add +3, etc. Part of me still clings to the O5e ways, though, and it feels like if there is a relevant ability, it should be added. But I can't find any guidance on this other than some discussions and interpretations here on the forum, with some people saying that you should add the "commonly used" ability to it. In the case of Perception, this would be Wisdom, but again it doesn't explicitly state I should add that anywhere that I can find. Instead, under the skills section, it says:
"The Narrator determines which ability score is called for in a given situation."
Given that, it doesn't seem like any particular ability can be said to be "normally applied to the check," so that suggests that the Narrator should determine what ability should be added to my passive score in any given situation. If that's the case, passive checks kinda seem like more hassle than they should be since it feels (to me) like the point of a passive check is to have a single, fixed number that the Narrator can write down and have easy access to without also needing every players' ability modifiers, determining which ability is relevant, and then having to math them for that particular situation. So what is the intent here? If we are supposed to add the "commonly used" ability, I would like to suggest that be explicitly stated to avoid arguments at the table.
"To determine a character’s total for a passive check, add 10 + all the modifiers that normally apply to the check."
To me, this says that the only things I should be adding to the base of 10 are any modifiers that are always added. So if I'm proficient, I add my proficiency bonus, if I have expertise, I add +3, etc. Part of me still clings to the O5e ways, though, and it feels like if there is a relevant ability, it should be added. But I can't find any guidance on this other than some discussions and interpretations here on the forum, with some people saying that you should add the "commonly used" ability to it. In the case of Perception, this would be Wisdom, but again it doesn't explicitly state I should add that anywhere that I can find. Instead, under the skills section, it says:
"The Narrator determines which ability score is called for in a given situation."
Given that, it doesn't seem like any particular ability can be said to be "normally applied to the check," so that suggests that the Narrator should determine what ability should be added to my passive score in any given situation. If that's the case, passive checks kinda seem like more hassle than they should be since it feels (to me) like the point of a passive check is to have a single, fixed number that the Narrator can write down and have easy access to without also needing every players' ability modifiers, determining which ability is relevant, and then having to math them for that particular situation. So what is the intent here? If we are supposed to add the "commonly used" ability, I would like to suggest that be explicitly stated to avoid arguments at the table.
