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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7798027" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Ah, OK.</p><p></p><p>My video game career began and ended in the days of plug-in-the-quarter arcade games. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Cat-and-mouse is an old trope. But a more common situation than an NPC searching for them is that someone (somehow) knows the PCs are coming and a stealthy NPC has been sent out to scout them - or attack and expose them.</p><p></p><p>Where my point is that in order to be able to give that input in a consistent and believable way the player's knowledge should (as far as possible) match that of the character.</p><p></p><p>Otherwise the input is either filtered through some sort of self-policing or is liable to be incongruent with what the character would do otherwise.</p><p></p><p>I guess we disagree on the definition of 'pertinent'. If I-as-DM fail to tell the player about something relevant that the character would have known or observed, that's on me. But that by no means suggests I should be telling them about things the PCs don't (yet) know.</p><p></p><p>Put another way: I hold and retain the right to now and then surprise the players and PCs together.</p><p></p><p>Not hear, smell. But in either case I'd probably do a series of things:</p><p></p><p>First, I'd roll to see how much noise the dog happens to make; as this is a somewhat random element and informs what comes next. Then, based on that roll I'd give the PCs a Listen (or Hear Noise) roll if the dog was quiet, or skip straight to narration if the dog, say, started barking (i.e. a really high how-much-noise roll).</p><p></p><p>I'd then narrate from the results of the Listen roll.</p><p></p><p>I was referring to how many Stealth checks to get down the entire hallway - one per door? One overall? Or?</p><p></p><p>And right here is where I would want to get off the bus. The hallway should be treated exactly the same in the mechanics, regardless of what's actually there, until and unless something happens to change that. So, if it's one check per door it's one check per door, end of story; until and unless either a check result causes the PCs to be noticed (if there's anything to do so) or something else intervenes (e.g. an unexpected guard walks around a corner).</p><p></p><p>And why is this? Because neither the PCs nor the players know what if any threats lurk behind those doors, and nor should they until and unless a) a threat makes itself obvious (a dog barks; or a door opens) or b) the PCs notice something that indicates a threat might be present (they hear a dog; or see light coming out from under the door). </p><p></p><p>It sometimes generates a big sigh of relief from the players when they absolutely butcher a sneak check and my response goes something like "Well, fortunately for you you picked a good time to mess that up; as nothing seems to have come of it."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7798027, member: 29398"] Ah, OK. My video game career began and ended in the days of plug-in-the-quarter arcade games. :) Cat-and-mouse is an old trope. But a more common situation than an NPC searching for them is that someone (somehow) knows the PCs are coming and a stealthy NPC has been sent out to scout them - or attack and expose them. Where my point is that in order to be able to give that input in a consistent and believable way the player's knowledge should (as far as possible) match that of the character. Otherwise the input is either filtered through some sort of self-policing or is liable to be incongruent with what the character would do otherwise. I guess we disagree on the definition of 'pertinent'. If I-as-DM fail to tell the player about something relevant that the character would have known or observed, that's on me. But that by no means suggests I should be telling them about things the PCs don't (yet) know. Put another way: I hold and retain the right to now and then surprise the players and PCs together. Not hear, smell. But in either case I'd probably do a series of things: First, I'd roll to see how much noise the dog happens to make; as this is a somewhat random element and informs what comes next. Then, based on that roll I'd give the PCs a Listen (or Hear Noise) roll if the dog was quiet, or skip straight to narration if the dog, say, started barking (i.e. a really high how-much-noise roll). I'd then narrate from the results of the Listen roll. I was referring to how many Stealth checks to get down the entire hallway - one per door? One overall? Or? And right here is where I would want to get off the bus. The hallway should be treated exactly the same in the mechanics, regardless of what's actually there, until and unless something happens to change that. So, if it's one check per door it's one check per door, end of story; until and unless either a check result causes the PCs to be noticed (if there's anything to do so) or something else intervenes (e.g. an unexpected guard walks around a corner). And why is this? Because neither the PCs nor the players know what if any threats lurk behind those doors, and nor should they until and unless a) a threat makes itself obvious (a dog barks; or a door opens) or b) the PCs notice something that indicates a threat might be present (they hear a dog; or see light coming out from under the door). It sometimes generates a big sigh of relief from the players when they absolutely butcher a sneak check and my response goes something like "Well, fortunately for you you picked a good time to mess that up; as nothing seems to have come of it." [/QUOTE]
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