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Is my DM being fair?
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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7413520" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>I think objections to the Observant feat are chiefly based around treating passive Perception as "always-on radar," which according to my reading of the rules is only the case in combat situations. Outside of combat, while traveling or adventuring, you're limited in what tasks you can do at the same time. "Characters who turn their attention to other tasks as the group travels are not focused on watching for danger." That's anything as distracting as navigating, drawing a map, tracking, or foraging.</p><p></p><p>So, sure, take the Observant feat. But if you choose to do any other Perception-based activity other than Keeping Watch, you will be automatically surprised if a monster tries to sneak up on the party and you won't notice any traps. If you want to Keep Watch for traps, you may also have to be in the front rank which is an additional risk. Observant is great - you're probably going to succeed on any repetitive task with an uncertain outcome that uses Perception, or possible Investigation, as the proficiency for resolving that outcome. But only just the one task. This makes it a meaningful choice for the player and makes Observant useful, but not "overpowered."</p><p></p><p>As an example, here's how I set this up in my current Planescape campaign wherein the PCs are adventuring on the Infinite Staircase:</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH]97199[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>An Observant rogue, for example, has a few choices here. He or she can stay in the front rank and Keep Watch in order to have a chance to avoid surprise by lurking monsters and to notice traps or hazards. He or she could avoid the risk of the front rank and go in any other rank to Keep Watch and still have a chance to avoid surprise. Or the rogue can Find the Flights - navigating, essentially - and put that bonus to passive Investigation to good use to help the party avoid exhaustion. However, this means the rogue is automatically surprised if a stealthy monster attacks and has no chance of noticing traps or hazards. Whichever task the players chooses for this character will almost certainly succeed and at faster paces. (Faster pace means less travel time and fewer random encounters.) But he or she can't do <em>all</em> the tasks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7413520, member: 97077"] I think objections to the Observant feat are chiefly based around treating passive Perception as "always-on radar," which according to my reading of the rules is only the case in combat situations. Outside of combat, while traveling or adventuring, you're limited in what tasks you can do at the same time. "Characters who turn their attention to other tasks as the group travels are not focused on watching for danger." That's anything as distracting as navigating, drawing a map, tracking, or foraging. So, sure, take the Observant feat. But if you choose to do any other Perception-based activity other than Keeping Watch, you will be automatically surprised if a monster tries to sneak up on the party and you won't notice any traps. If you want to Keep Watch for traps, you may also have to be in the front rank which is an additional risk. Observant is great - you're probably going to succeed on any repetitive task with an uncertain outcome that uses Perception, or possible Investigation, as the proficiency for resolving that outcome. But only just the one task. This makes it a meaningful choice for the player and makes Observant useful, but not "overpowered." As an example, here's how I set this up in my current Planescape campaign wherein the PCs are adventuring on the Infinite Staircase: [ATTACH=CONFIG]97199._xfImport[/ATTACH] An Observant rogue, for example, has a few choices here. He or she can stay in the front rank and Keep Watch in order to have a chance to avoid surprise by lurking monsters and to notice traps or hazards. He or she could avoid the risk of the front rank and go in any other rank to Keep Watch and still have a chance to avoid surprise. Or the rogue can Find the Flights - navigating, essentially - and put that bonus to passive Investigation to good use to help the party avoid exhaustion. However, this means the rogue is automatically surprised if a stealthy monster attacks and has no chance of noticing traps or hazards. Whichever task the players chooses for this character will almost certainly succeed and at faster paces. (Faster pace means less travel time and fewer random encounters.) But he or she can't do [I]all[/I] the tasks. [/QUOTE]
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