Listen/Spot checks before an encounter

[dreaded_beast]

I find myself asking my players before every encounter to make a spot/listen check to see if they get surprised.

Is this correct?

 

[shilsen]

It depends on the logistics of the situation, but usually, yes. This is why you should use flying, greater invisible wizards more often

 

[dreaded_beast]

Thanks for the response!

Based on the above, it seems as if Spot and Listen are 2 of the most important, if not THE most important skills in the game.

For some reason, this does not sit right with me, always calling for a spot/listen check before every encounter.

In addition, it seems like a dead give-away that combat is going to occur as soon as I call for those checks.

I'm still a green DM, but I'm slowly getting experience under my belt.

 

[sidonath]

Well you could call for spot/listen checks when there is nothing to fight against. One of my DMs used to call checks to notice shephard with his sheeps in the field

 

[shilsen]

Thanks for the response!

Based on the above, it seems as if Spot and Listen are 2 of the most important, if not THE most important skills in the game.

For some reason, this does not sit right with me, always calling for a spot/listen check before every encounter.

In addition, it seems like a dead give-away that combat is going to occur as soon as I call for those checks.

I'm still a green DM, but I'm slowly getting experience under my belt.

Regarding the giveaway aspect, certain checks (Spot, Listen, Search, Bluff, Sense Motive, etc.) should be rolled by you and not the players. Have a sheet with the relevant modifiers for each PC listed and use that when you roll. I use one such, with saves, armor class (normal, touch, flatfooted), and other such things mentioned and it also helps to speed the game up.

Alternatively, you can have the players make half a dozen spot/listen checks each at the start of the session and use them instead. But I would strongly recommend doing the rolls yourself as suggested in the previous paragraph.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

In my group, the PCs usually ask for Spot/Listen checks every couple of rooms. That way I don't even have to ask for them to make them. Very cautious bunch...and I can still ambush them.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

In my group, the PCs usually ask for Spot/Listen checks every couple of rooms. That way I don't even have to ask for them to make them. Very cautious bunch...and I can still ambush them.

My group is the opposite it seems... they only think to make them when I ask, and complain when they get surprised.

Hey Ankh, nice to see more folks from the swamp here....

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

My group is the opposite it seems... they only think to make them when I ask, and complain when they get surprised.

Hey Ankh, nice to see more folks from the swamp here....

When my PCs get surprised, they really panic out of sheer paranoia. They seem to think that between all of them, at least ONE will have a good listen/spot roll.

[off topic] There are only a few of us from here in the swamp. I'm actually just BACK here. Got moved up to Georgia for a while...good to be home though. [/off topic]

 

[Eye Tyrant]

There are only a few of us from here in the swamp. I'm actually just BACK here. Got moved up to Georgia for a while...good to be home though.

Yeah, as far as I can tell, you, me, and DaveMage (maybe a few others) are the only few that I've come across on the boards...

 

[Li Shenron]

However, see that it is irrelevant to make the Spot/Listen rolls hidden if the combat is going to start in any case. In that case (almost always) I prefer to let the players roll, so that they can blame themselves if rolling badly