This is a very basic system for changing the role of Perception and Insight in the game. These are two skills that describe an action rather than a pool of knowledge. Both, especially Perception, have become a catch-all that gets relied upon far too much and has way too much impact on the game. This system attempts to redress that imbalance.
Credit for these concepts goes to the people in this thread where these ideas where hashed out: http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/293794-replacing-perception-thievery.html
The first rule of this system is that Perception and Insight no longer exist as skills in the game. They are, instead, now a subset of actions within other skills. Any time a module calls for a Perception or Insight check, these are now checks made with other applicable skills (as will be detailed below).
The second rule is that Perception and Insight bonuses remain just that. They still apply to any Perception or Insight action, however they now add the bonus to the applicable situation and action rather than a particular skill.
The third rule is that a character can still make a blind Wisdom check in any situation in which they would've otherwise made an Insight or Perception check. Any information the character gleans from this check, however, is generalised and unspecific. An example would be a trap trigger. The character would not know that it is a trap trigger, they simply would know that it is something that is out of place or noticeable because it sticks out in some way, shape or form.
Noticing a hidden or invisible opponent now uses a Wisdom check. In this case, any bonuses to Perception are added to this check. And yes, in both cases above, this does make hiding more effective and more difficult to counter and makes spotting things or finding things in a search or detecting a lie, significantly more difficult.
The fourth rule is to apply the right skill to the right situation. This is where you need to be imaginative because there is no exhaustive list for every conceivable situation. If a player comes up with a good reason to use a skill they have for the situation, it's up to the DM to determine if it applies or not.
Some examples include using Thievery to spot mundane traps, History to find important documents in a library, Arcana to spot a magical trap, Dungeoneering to notice underground hazards, Nature to notice hazards elsewhere, etc.
There's really no limit. It's really up to the players and DM's to determine what skill fits to what situation and how it applies. The information gleaned should also reflect the skill being used. For example, if a thief is using Thievery to search through an office, then he tends to only find things he could easily sell, since that's what a thief would know what to look for and would therefore be most likely to find. A Historian, however, would more likely find important historical documents, whereas someone using Arcana might find parts of or even a whole spell. Of course, it depends on what is there to be found. If there is nothing that would apply to the skill, then nothing should be found. For instance, a person using Thievery to find mundane traps might roll a 20 and have a +15 bonus to his skill... but that doesn't mean he'll spot the magical trap with a DC of 10 to find.
Credit for these concepts goes to the people in this thread where these ideas where hashed out: http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/293794-replacing-perception-thievery.html
The first rule of this system is that Perception and Insight no longer exist as skills in the game. They are, instead, now a subset of actions within other skills. Any time a module calls for a Perception or Insight check, these are now checks made with other applicable skills (as will be detailed below).
The second rule is that Perception and Insight bonuses remain just that. They still apply to any Perception or Insight action, however they now add the bonus to the applicable situation and action rather than a particular skill.
The third rule is that a character can still make a blind Wisdom check in any situation in which they would've otherwise made an Insight or Perception check. Any information the character gleans from this check, however, is generalised and unspecific. An example would be a trap trigger. The character would not know that it is a trap trigger, they simply would know that it is something that is out of place or noticeable because it sticks out in some way, shape or form.
Noticing a hidden or invisible opponent now uses a Wisdom check. In this case, any bonuses to Perception are added to this check. And yes, in both cases above, this does make hiding more effective and more difficult to counter and makes spotting things or finding things in a search or detecting a lie, significantly more difficult.
The fourth rule is to apply the right skill to the right situation. This is where you need to be imaginative because there is no exhaustive list for every conceivable situation. If a player comes up with a good reason to use a skill they have for the situation, it's up to the DM to determine if it applies or not.
Some examples include using Thievery to spot mundane traps, History to find important documents in a library, Arcana to spot a magical trap, Dungeoneering to notice underground hazards, Nature to notice hazards elsewhere, etc.
There's really no limit. It's really up to the players and DM's to determine what skill fits to what situation and how it applies. The information gleaned should also reflect the skill being used. For example, if a thief is using Thievery to search through an office, then he tends to only find things he could easily sell, since that's what a thief would know what to look for and would therefore be most likely to find. A Historian, however, would more likely find important historical documents, whereas someone using Arcana might find parts of or even a whole spell. Of course, it depends on what is there to be found. If there is nothing that would apply to the skill, then nothing should be found. For instance, a person using Thievery to find mundane traps might roll a 20 and have a +15 bonus to his skill... but that doesn't mean he'll spot the magical trap with a DC of 10 to find.
