Help me nail down this 'take 10, take 20' nonsense

[Hypersmurf]

dcollins, Patryn, enough with the bickering, okay?

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[knifespeaks]

Bah! That was just an excuse to get to 200 posts Hyp!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Oy.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Let me beat this dead horse some more

Here is what I like about take 20 on Search checks and generally being able to retry something. In 1e and 2e when the characters had a reasonable suspicion that there was a secret door in a specific area they got to roll once and if they didn't find it, oh well. This could be a major plot problem if they needed to get through the door in order to defeat the BBEG.

You know, it only just occurred to me... but for... well, years now - since well before 3E was released - my immediate reaction on hitting a location where I suspect a secret door exists in Nethack has been "n 20 s". Search 20 times.

Unless there's a monster in the room, or I'm hungry, or there's some other reason I'm threatened or under pressure.

I've been taking 20 on searches without realising it!

-Hyp.

 

[knifespeaks]

You know, it only just occurred to me... but for... well, years now - since well before 3E was released - my immediate reaction on hitting a location where I suspect a secret door exists in Nethack has been "n 20 s". Search 20 times.

Unless there's a monster in the room, or I'm hungry, or there's some other reason I'm threatened or under pressure.

I've been taking 20 on searches without realising it!

-Hyp.

That hurts.....I used the same principle in Rogue!

Damn....oh well....I fought the good fight

/hides

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, shoot. I guess if you gotta throw in the towel, Nethack's a good reason to do so.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, shoot. I guess if you gotta throw in the towel, Nethack's a good reason to do so.

You don't throw towels. You wrap them around your head when you're telepathic.

Duh.

-Hyp.

 

[Storm Raven]

....still, "taking 20" on trap searches does take the guesswork out, for the players anyway.

"I didn't find a trap after taking 20? Okay, that means it's either not there or it's way too freaking difficult. Either way, lets move on."

Or mildly too difficult, and the trap (or other hidden item) could be found through judicious use of Aid Another, Fox's Cunning, Goggles of Minute Seeing, or other similar aids.