Checks: Secret or Not?

[GRStrayton]

I was reading a discussion somewhere online (and now for some reason I can't find it -- if anyone knows, can you please post a link?) about whether the DM or the players should be rolling the PCs' ability and skills checks. I do something between the two extremes (which happens to fit my play-style) and just wrote up a post about it for anyone interested. You can read it here:

Secret Dice Rolls « Legends & Labyrinths

 

[serrin]

I mix it up.
If it's something that the players are aware of and checking for, I roll against them in plain site.

There are some checks I don't even want them to know about (or at least what it's about)

eg. Something is out of the ordinary and i want to have a spellcaster(s) make an arcane check. I have all their skill bonus's written down behind the screen, and i have everyone throw a D20..
Then i just do the math for the players who qualified for the check... since they all rolled, on a miss they just move on, wondering what it was about, and if the player gets it, he gets a chance to share the information.