Perception and DM notes...

[Scribble]

So, normally in my notes if there is a spot where perception would come into play- in my notes I generally just put the number, and what that number spots.

But I'm thinking since passive perception is "always on" it would make more sense to actually put who spots what (one less thing to mentally convert at the table) since I already know my players.

Does anyone out there already do this? Seems like one of those "duh" moments for me for something I should have been doing all along.

 

[FreeXenon]

That is pretty much how I approach it.

I also approach dungeonerring, Nature, History, Religion, and Arcana checks in a similar way, by prerolling so I can just hand them what they know and we do not have to waste time with them asking or forgetting to ask about something that they had a skill for.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I keep an updated sheet with everyone's passive checks pinned to the DM screen. I just keep the notice levels as numbers in my notes since I'm not sure exactly how long it will be between preparing and using the adventure material. Some characters might be replaced so just keeping the note on the screen updated is easiest for me.

 

[DEFCON 1]

In conjunction with the 'Stealth and Perception' thread, I have PCs use Passive Perception... but never just assign target numbers to the things that are hidden. I always roll stealth checks for those things at the time the PCs approach them, so that there is more variable on whether the PCs might notice them with their passive perception (and I never am able to just arbitrarily decide "nope, the PCs won't notice this without saying they're actively looking"). To do this, I just decide on the difficulty level of the thing to be seen (like a trap might be a Moderate check to notice), subtract 10 from the target number off the DC level chart, then roll a d20 and add it to the remainder. That gives me my target number against which the player's passives are matched.

I never want to be in a situation where a PC's pre-determined number goes up against a DM's pre-determined number. I want every check to have at least one side rolling a die.

 

[tyrlaan]

That is pretty much how I approach it.

I also approach dungeonerring, Nature, History, Religion, and Arcana checks in a similar way, by prerolling so I can just hand them what they know and we do not have to waste time with them asking or forgetting to ask about something that they had a skill for.

I saw someone mention somewhere that you can "passive" all the monster knowledge skills at the start of an encounter to figure out what the characters know before spending an action to actually use the skill. So I suppose one question I have is, am I inventing this or is this true?

I'm also curious if you tailor the monster knowledge based on the character that will receive the info. For example, Bob the Druid and Fred the Cleric run into a ZOMGbie. The creature has a natural origin and is also undead. Bob can use Nature to learn about the ZOMGbie and Fred can use Religion. Do they learn the same info? What if they are with Hans the Bard who knows Nature and Religion?

 

[D'karr]

Does anyone out there already do this? Seems like one of those "duh" moments for me for something I should have been doing all along.

WotC has been doing this with the gameday adventures for a while, if the adventure has pre-generated characters.

You'll see the encounter text say things like "Character X, spots the things crawling on the ceiling."