D&D 5E (2024) How can I do a Charisma-Investigation (or a Strength/Dexterity-Investigation if I can't use Charisma) to find a secret door?

[DrJawaPhD]

Or, you could roleplay them as always coming up with overcomplicated schemes that never work because they inevitably miss some important and obvious detail.

Hehe yeah too true, you could argue that elaborately complex schemes that don't stand a chance of working are both the norm for most DnD parties, and would be spot on for accurately roleplaying PCs with 8 Intelligence

 

[Clint_L]

Everyone dumping Int to 8 is pretty standard in my experience if you don't have an Artificer or Wizard. It's just such a completely useless stat for everyone else

Do people not roleplay that their character is dumb when they have low intelligence? Plus, investigation alone is a crucial skill, not to mention the various lores. I would dump strength before I would dump intelligence.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Do people not roleplay that their character is dumb when they have low intelligence?

Again, 8 intelligence is slightly below average, not mentally handicapped barely able to string sentences together or something. People here seem to think Grog is a good example of dumping int, but he was 6 Int which is not typically a legal Int score in standard Point Buy. I don't see how anything special is required to roleplay slightly below average intelligence other than don't RP your PC as a genius or something.

Also, in your stereotypical DnD party, you generally see:

• Do whatever the quest giver says to do
• Steal anything not bolted down
• Murder anything with good loot
• Protect and befriend any animals or NPCs with a funny voice
• Disregard any potential consequences of their actions

So yeah I'd say that on the average, most DnD players generally roleplay their PCs as below average intelligence, even the ones who don't dump Int.

 

[TheSword]

This situation seems a bit messed up. How do you know the secret doors are there to look for?

I guess my question would be, are the secret doors necessary to find in order to progress through the dungeon. If it is, then it’s bad adventure design. Go and find something else to do for your two sessions until the rogue comes back. Alternatively go and find a hireling rogue in town.

Not that those actions guarantee finding the secret doors you need, which cycles back to the first point. Why would any DM gate progress behind a secret door that requires a difficult check to proceed?

If they aren’t necessary to open, then suck it up and move on.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Sorry I thought I was clear. He is out of the game for two weeks due to real life stuff.

We were fine when he was still there.

The Player is absent, but where is the Character?

 

[Bae'zel]

Go into detail about how you’re searching, potentially eliminating the need to roll at all, or maybe get advantage on any checks if your DM is nice.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Your high Charisma means you have a lot of experience with people, and you know how people act and make decisions. You use your Charisma (Investigation) to imagine how other people would use this room. Where would they sit, rest, talk? Where would they hide something? That's where your character looks.

 

[TiQuinn]

Your high Charisma means you have a lot of experience with people, and you know how people act and make decisions. You use your Charisma (Investigation) to imagine how other people would use this room. Where would they sit, rest, talk? Where would they hide something? That's where your character looks.

Wouldn’t that be more like Wisdom?

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Your high Charisma means you have a lot of experience with people, and you know how people act and make decisions. You use your Charisma (Investigation) to imagine how other people would use this room. Where would they sit, rest, talk? Where would they hide something? That's where your character looks.

This is the best answer I’ve seen but This sounds like insight to me. Which is a wisdom skill. Charisma is more force of personality.

I suppose you could reframe it: if I was a person hiding something, where would I sit, rest and talk.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This is the best answer I’ve seen but This sounds like insight to me. Which is a wisdom skill. Charisma is more force of personality.

I suppose you could reframe it: if I was a person hiding something, where would I sit, rest and talk.

You could, but at that point it feels very metagamey to me. Any player who tried that on me would be treated to a suspicious eye.