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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 6807480" data-attributes="member: 12731">Well, not really. To get any mileage out of a passive check, the assumption is that you have a high score.A dim-witted barbarian (Int 8, no proficiency) will never find anything during his investigations if you use the passive score, even if the illusion is as easy to find as DC 10. If you allow him to roll, on the other hand, he will now find 45% of all these illusions (rolling 11 on his d20). The controversy regarding passive checks is &quot;but then he auto-spots every hiding monster&quot; but remember this goes both ways.Again, as the DM you need to use the passive check mechanism judiciously. You can't just use it always (the &quot;the rules says so&quot; camp) and you really aren't giving it a chance if you use it never (the &quot;it's broken&quot; camp).The passive check mechanism only works if you use it when you the DM decide to.It's an aid to speed up gameplay, not an excuse to stop making DM judgement calls.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 6807480, member: 12731"] Well, not really. To get any mileage out of a passive check, [B]the assumption is that you have a high score[/B]. A dim-witted barbarian (Int 8, no proficiency) will [B]never find anything[/B] during his investigations if you use the passive score, even if the illusion is as easy to find as DC 10. If you allow him to roll, on the other hand, he will now find 45% of all these illusions (rolling 11 on his d20). The controversy regarding passive checks is "but then he auto-spots every hiding monster" but remember this goes both ways. Again, as the DM you need to use the passive check mechanism judiciously. You can't just use it always (the "the rules says so" camp) and you really aren't giving it a chance if you use it never (the "it's broken" camp). The passive check mechanism only works if you use it [B]when you the DM decide to[/B]. It's an aid to speed up gameplay, not an excuse to stop making DM judgement calls. [/QUOTE]

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