Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rod Staffwand" data-source="post: 7099649" data-attributes="member: 6776279">Passive perception is only 'always on' when it is referenced in the rules--generally when it acts as a DC for a stealth check.Passive perception is specified as an option to detect traps (and I think secret doors) in the DMG as a substitute for the perception check. None of the sample traps listed there mention passive perception as part of their resolution. I'm unfamiliar with most of WotC's adventures so I don't know how most of their traps are written, but unless they specified they can be found with a passive perception of X+, I wouldn't allow it.A DM can certainly choose to go with using passive perception in finding traps and secrets. Such a DM and group would likely be less interested in the trap-finding aspects of the game and prefer to spend less time and effort on it. This is certainly a valid play decision.I certainly wouldn't allow both passive perception and an 'active' perception roll to be used with the same action or activity. Passive perception represents with active effort of being watchful, as does rolling your perception. Using both at the same time is akin to giving a character advantage on the roll with one d20 being replaced by a 10. That's completely unsupported by the rules and the resolution methods for every other aspect of the game and I see no reason to make a special case for perception.Where the passive perception 'floor' comes in is with hidden opponents that you cannot spot with your passive perception. Say the group is attacked by an invisible stalker who rolls 18 for their stealth check after attacking. Your passive perception is 15, thus the invisible stalker becomes hidden to you. You lose track of it. On your turn you want to try and find it, so you use the search action and make a perception roll. If you beat the 18 you find it, otherwise you don't.Technically, your passive perception of 15 is still in effect, but that doesn't matter. If you rolled a 16 you did better, but still not good enough to find the stalker. If you rolled 8, you could replace that with the 15 and it still doesn't matter. Both passive perception and active perception are fails. Even rolling a natural 1 doesn't mean you spot 'less' than your passive perception. You spot the exact same thing--which is not the invisible stalker you're looking for.As for high passive perception PCs spotting all ambushes, this is entirely fine. Ambushes are generally about who is surprised during the first round of combat. High-PP characters are less surprised. The other PCs would be. In any case, a combat results, possibly with the baddies still in a favorable tactical position. Honestly, the stakes are not that high that the DM should be fretting over it. If you absolutely feel you must ambush the party, have the monsters attack from out of secret doors or materializing out of thin air (especially at high levels of play). Monsters appear and attack. Simple as that.</blockquote>

Verification