lectric
First Post
I put this in a new thread, to keep the Errata thread clean.If they are not actively using them (i.e. they come upon a trapped door but do not state that they are searching for traps), then the passive scores should be checked to see if they notice whatever is going on.
I have a house rule about passive perception/insight & passive knowledge, because to me the idea is unrealistic. No matter how good Tordek's Perception skill, if he's out picking flowers, instead of riding in watchful and stony silence like a good D&D character should, he just might not notice the kobold lurking in the bushes....
So, if a PC's Passive Perception beats the DC, whether they are paying attention or not, they automatically get a roll. This encourages paying attention. If someone with a really crappy Passive Perception is paying attention, like they should (e.g. "as I ride in watchful and stony silence, I scan the bushes for signs of movement"), they get a perception roll. This encourages players to think and use their skills.
Same with knowledge checks. If passive knowledge (or streetwise or whatever) beats the DC, they get a free roll, whether they are looking or not. If the player doesn't ask "what do I know about this monster?", why should I automatically tell them anything about the monster?
In most cases, if the passive skill beats the DC, and the character is at least paying attention, it's an automatic success.
That's my 2 cp on passive skills. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this.