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<blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 6254276" data-attributes="member: 3400">I don't generally have a problem with taking 10 or 'passive' skill checks. I've had players use them to considerable effect in games I've run and they do exactly what they are intended to do - save a lot of time and hassle with unnecessary checks. I do, however, have a problem with rolling a trap's stealth check just because the PC came within range of perceiving it. For most opposed checks, particularly for a situation in which the trap is doing nothing to change its status but just sitting there, I'd prefer to just stick the DC at a static value and have the PCs roll against it. They can be in control of whether or not they roll or rely on their passive score. As long as the DC is reasonably justified by the situation, I don't have a problem with it being fundamentally static whether the PCs will find it easily or never find it with passive perception.Plus, if you roll the trap's stealth check vs the PCs' passive perception, what if the PCs have split up and each subgroup encounters the trap separately? Does it make any sense for the DC to spot the trap to change? I don't think so. But isn't that what the principle of the DM rolling vs passive perception leads to? Just set the DC and leave it alone. If the PCs spot it easily, they spot it easily. Good for them.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="billd91, post: 6254276, member: 3400"] I don't generally have a problem with taking 10 or 'passive' skill checks. I've had players use them to considerable effect in games I've run and they do exactly what they are intended to do - save a lot of time and hassle with unnecessary checks. I do, however, have a problem with rolling a trap's stealth check just because the PC came within range of perceiving it. For most opposed checks, particularly for a situation in which the trap is doing nothing to change its status but just sitting there, I'd prefer to just stick the DC at a static value and have the PCs roll against it. They can be in control of whether or not they roll or rely on their passive score. As long as the DC is reasonably justified by the situation, I don't have a problem with it being fundamentally static whether the PCs will find it easily or never find it with passive perception. Plus, if you roll the trap's stealth check vs the PCs' passive perception, what if the PCs have split up and each subgroup encounters the trap separately? Does it make any sense for the DC to spot the trap to change? I don't think so. But isn't that what the principle of the DM rolling vs passive perception leads to? Just set the DC and leave it alone. If the PCs spot it easily, they spot it easily. Good for them. [/QUOTE]

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