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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 8543753" data-attributes="member: 97077">Although I'm flattered someone would take the time to parse out so many individual statements and respond to each of them, I think your method causes you to miss vital context in what I'm saying. I encourage you to do less of that.To address some of your points:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Here's the rule you requested: "Character who turn their attention to other tasks as the group travels are not focused on watching for danger. These characters don't contribute their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores to the group's chance of noticing hidden threats." (Basic Rules, p. 68, also in PHB Ch. 8) It then goes on to say what tasks it's referring to and suggests the DM may establish that other tasks have the same trade-off. So yeah, draw a map and you risk being automatically surprised. That is the trade-off for creating a navigational tool for advantage later (and potentially something valuable to sell, if there's a market for maps at the DM's discretion). In my game, Search for Secret Doors is on par with these tasks. To get the benefit of finding secret chambers with treasure in them or shortcuts around dangerous areas, you need to put yourself at risk of automatic surprise.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The above rule is in the context of Activity While Traveling - itself in the context of Movement - which can be at the dungeon scale of feet and minutes or the wilderness scale of feet miles, hours, and days.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your position on having all monsters attempt to surprise the PCs makes Perception even more valuable to have in your game than may be intended. Every time you give us details about your game, it should be easy for everyone to see how way, way overvalued this skill is based on how you run things. You're not alone here though. Lots of DMs do this and then wonder why passive Perception is so strong.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I'm not sure your LARP experience is relevant to what the rules of passive Perception are in D&D 5e. You seem to be making some kind of case for realism here to justify your interpretations, but I don't find that useful when discussing what the rules say.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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