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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pbartender" data-source="post: 5399083" data-attributes="member: 7533">Yup...  It's kind of like the "If the DM describes it, it must be important" scenario.  You do have to be careful about how you present it.  I certainly don't tell them that they've successfully made a Passive check, but in the description of the area try to add in that extra detail or two that puts them on their toes.It might be the difference between, "The door ahead is made of thick oak bound in iron, and below the handle has an iron plate with a large keyhole set in it.  A well worn and recently used path leads up to the door." (Passive Fail)And, "The door ahead is made of thick oak bound in iron, and below the handle has an iron plate with a large keyhole set in it. Though a well worn and recently used path leads up to the door, the door handle is rather tarnished -- with that much traffic, you'd expect it be be a little more polished from use." (Passive Succeed)There is, of course, a poisoned needle hidden on the door handle.The idea is to use the passive check to give an extra detail that will get the players to pay attention to the door handle and possibly search it, without actually telling them it might be a trap.Besides, the trick works for a lot of things, not just traps...   Insight checks are another great example.  I use Passive Perception to give the players little details about the mannerisms of someone they're talking to, so the players can get clues as to when to make Insight checks to detect a lie.Passive Perception checks to give clues that might lead to secret passages.Passive Perception checks to give clues about where treasure might be hidden.Passive Knowledge checks to give clues into possible lines of investigation or research.Passive Perception checks to notice interesting little details that are fun to describe but don't always have any real importance to the adventure.Thinking about it, it is, in a way, a means of determining when to give the players an extra detail or two that says, "Hey!  This is interesting!"  Even then, they don't always notice or pay attention to the relevant detail.</blockquote>

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