Checks rolled for the players

[Pilgrim]

I'm surprised that your players just roll and ignore that they had to roll. In about thirty-seven years of GMing, I've rarely had a player roll in such circumstance (where I don't tell him why) and not obsess on it.

Actually, no they really don't. I may call for the party to make a Perception check. They all roll, everyone tells me what they rolled. If no one passes, I just say, "ok" and we continue on with whatever is taking place at the time. I don't expand or elude to anything in particular and this does leave them scratching their heads for a moment or two. They might say, something like, "uh, oh" or "we're about to get screwed", or make some joke, but other than that they just shrug it off and go about their business. In the off chance that they do begin asking questions, I just inform them that "nothing seems out of the ordinary", "everything appears normal", and leave whatever it is that they missed off the table, since none of them passed the check, it no longer matters what happens next.

Plus, if they're actively looking for something (like a guy with an accent), and you make them roll for something, it can be pretty obvious what's up, particularly if not much else is happening or could happen.

In this case, I wouldn't have them even bother rolling. If one or more of the players mentioned that they were going to listen and try to discern if any of the people they spoke with, had an unusual or familiar accent I would simply alert them at the time of speaking with that particular NPC that, yes he does in fact have an accent. Now, in some cases, say for example, none of the PCs have ever frequently heard the particular accent spoken by another individual. Maybe an INT or WIS check to see if it is indeed, the right accent they are looking for.

 

[Mark CMG]

Now, in some cases, say for example, none of the PCs have ever frequently heard the particular accent spoken by another individual. Maybe an INT or WIS check to see if it is indeed, the right accent they are looking for.

Rolled by . . ?

 

[Michael Silverbane]

When I am running, I also have the players make the "secret" rolls. I've found that the effort of trying to care what their skill check modifiers are and picking up the dice is more than that of saying, "you don't notice jack.", or whatever the result of the roll is.

Let's hear it for DM laziness.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

In this case, I wouldn't have them even bother rolling. If one or more of the players mentioned that they were going to listen and try to discern if any of the people they spoke with, had an unusual or familiar accent I would simply alert them at the time of speaking with that particular NPC that, yes he does in fact have an accent. Now, in some cases, say for example, none of the PCs have ever frequently heard the particular accent spoken by another individual. Maybe an INT or WIS check to see if it is indeed, the right accent they are looking for.

Everyone has an accent. Some people don't realize it, but their own accent counts as an accent too.

In this situation there was likely more than one unfamiliar accent out an about on the streets, so by your way of doing it they'd be told every PC has an accent, and then they'd have to roll to identify it anyways which just means the game gets slowed by extra pointless rolling. Things go much faster if I just do my single roll for them in secret when they at last speak to the right guy.