D&D 5E (2014) First 5E Session - Some Inevitable Rules Questions

[Trurl]

Does passive perception act as a floor for perception checks?

 

[MerricB]

Does passive perception act as a floor for perception checks?

Sort of. If you're actually paying attention (and actively making the check) then yes, it does.

However, some activities preclude you from using passive perception - see what happens if you're foraging or mapping while travelling.

Cheers!

 

[Trurl]

Thanks!

Can PCs help eachother to get an advantage on passive perception? I don't see why they wouldn't be able to, but allowing it would allow them to get a +5 to their PPs most of the time if they wanted it.

 

[MerricB]

Thanks!

Can PCs help each other to get an advantage on passive perception? I don't see why they wouldn't be able to, but allowing it would allow them to get a +5 to their PPs most of the time if they wanted it.

I wouldn't allow it. How do you help someone perceiving something? Only if you spot it first!

(You can help someone perceive a hidden foe if you know where the foe is; otherwise you can't use the action).

Cheers!

 

[KahlessNestor]

Actually no, it isn't a floor. It's meant to be used in place of (perception check for traps)ove 10 feet (perc. check)ove 10 feet (ad nauseum). Anytime you would ne rolling repeatedly. It's not really 'radar', and you can certainly choose to roll and roll lower. It's meant to represent the average of all those rolls. It's up to the DM if he wants to assume you're always paying attention or not (repeated perception checks) or if you're distracted by something else (mapping, tracking, etc) and requires an actual roll. In the rules ot is also the target for most stealth checks, and has sort of become the de facto target foe most traps in adventure writing. But you most certainly can get lower.

 

[iserith]

Does passive perception act as a floor for perception checks?

No. Passive checks are for when you're actively doing a thing repeatedly and there's still uncertainty as to the outcome. The "passive" part refers to not rolling any dice.

Thanks!

Can PCs help eachother to get an advantage on passive perception? I don't see why they wouldn't be able to, but allowing it would allow them to get a +5 to their PPs most of the time if they wanted it.

Yes. If you feel that a character engaged in a repeated task has an uncertain chance of success (or failure) and another adventurer is assisting said character in a meaningful way, you may rule that the passive check has advantage.

The key thing with passive Perception in my view is that you have to remember it's a trade-off: If you are keeping watch for hidden threats, you can't do anything else that is at least as distracting as foraging, map-making, navigating, or tracking, or else you don't have a shot at noticing that lurking monster or concealed trap. For example, if you're in a labyrinth and navigating is important for finding one's way to the minotaur's lair (or whatever), then whoever is navigating does not apply passive Perception to finding hidden threats, nor does a character who is drawing a map of the maze.