Question to the tables who do all open rolling...
How do you handle the metaknowledge a player gains by knowing if they rolled high or low for a skill?
Question to the tables who do all open rolling...
How do you handle the metaknowledge a player gains by knowing if they rolled high or low for a skill?
For example...there is a HUGE difference in feel at the table when Sarah rolls a 17 with a +5 perception and announces a 22 followed by the GM saying "You don't notice anything out of the ordinary" and the GM rolling for Sarah behind the screen and announcing the very same thing.
Your setup isn't any different than how I do it. When we get to the part of the game where players are actively making perception rolls (versus me using their passive perception scores) they already have a reason to be suspicious.This is the classic example of knowing that a trap is there, because the GM asked for a perception check. The obvious solution to this is to not ask for a perception check, unless the player declares an action first. When the players enter a corridor that contains a trap, I'll foreshadow the trap first with the description of the corridor. This is the most important part. Something may seem off to them, such as unusual drag marks on the floor, or a blood stain on the wall. This will prompt the players to be suspicious, but they don't yet know of what. It might be a trap, but it doesn't have to be. They will need to investigate to find out. It motivates the players and their characters to take an action to find whatever is there. As they declare an action to search the walls and floors, that is when I call for a perception check.
The foreshadowing is very important. It means that players never have to search every corridor they go through, because I always give them a clue when something is amiss.
Now, if they roll low, they still don't know that they missed a trap. They just know that they failed to find whatever might be there, based on my description. But they would get the same outcome if the GM rolled instead, because it would be the same description of the situation either way. The players don't have to pretend that the corridor is safe just because they didn't find anything. I already gave both the players and their characters enough reason to suspect danger and they are allowed to act on it. Meta knowledge thus becomes a none-issue.
I don't give my players false information when they fail their roll. If they are looking for a trap, and don't roll high enough, I tell them that they were unable to find anything. I don't tell them there is no trap, because there is, but they simply were unable to find it.
Question to the tables who do all open rolling...
How do you handle the metaknowledge a player gains by knowing if they rolled high or low for a skill?
For example...there is a HUGE difference in feel at the table when Sarah rolls a 17 with a +5 perception and announces a 22 followed by the GM saying "You don't notice anything out of the ordinary" and the GM rolling for Sarah behind the screen and announcing the very same thing.
I like to GM roll some things like this for just this reason....and it allows me to change up the verbiage to suit the situation.
You are certain there isn't a trap.
You are fairly sure there isn't anything in the casket.
You don't hear anything odd.
You think you may have heard footsteps, but they might have been yours.
You are certain there isn't a trap (when there is!).
The meta knowledge comes when the player knows they rolled a 3 when they searched a door for a trap. Maybe a great player will then roleplay that correctly and play as if they assume the door is safe, but in my experience that's when players start doing things "just in case" that they normally wouldn't do if the roll had been a 17.
For my table, a secret roll and appropriate descriptions lends to anymore natural reaction by the players.
My job is to keep the narrative flowing. I make mistakes just like anyone else. If I do and my rolls are hidden I can "miss, reduce damage or even fumble if necessary" to keep from wiping my party or having to do a reset.
In the few very high level games I've run I've occasionally thrown in traps that can't be detected unless someone decides to use a ring of xray vision or something. I set the activation parameters and if they trigger it they trigger it. While you'll get some grumbling it is kind've fun after playing at that level for awhile to shock the party with a surprise trap. I had one party completely unravel on me. It took them the entire game session to get thier groove back. So much fun...This is the classic example of knowing that a trap is there, because the GM asked for a perception check. The obvious solution to this is to not ask for a perception check, unless the player declares an action first. When the players enter a corridor that contains a trap, I'll foreshadow the trap first with the description of the corridor. This is the most important part. Something may seem off to them, such as unusual drag marks on the floor, or a blood stain on the wall. This will prompt the players to be suspicious, but they don't yet know of what. It might be a trap, but it doesn't have to be. They will need to investigate to find out. It motivates the players and their characters to take an action to find whatever is there. As they declare an action to search the walls and floors, that is when I call for a perception check.
The foreshadowing is very important. It means that players never have to search every corridor they go through, because I always give them a clue when something is amiss.
Now, if they roll low, they still don't know that they missed a trap. They just know that they failed to find whatever might be there, based on my description. But they would get the same outcome if the GM rolled instead, because it would be the same description of the situation either way. The players don't have to pretend that the corridor is safe just because they didn't find anything. I already gave both the players and their characters enough reason to suspect danger and they are allowed to act on it. Meta knowledge thus becomes a none-issue.
I don't give my players false information when they fail their roll. If they are looking for a trap, and don't roll high enough, I tell them that they were unable to find anything. I don't tell them there is no trap, because there is, but they simply were unable to find it.