Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6939291" data-attributes="member: 97077">If you are telegraphing your hidden dangers and objects when you describe the environment - and I highly recommend you do - then this becomes very easy to adjudicate. Telegraphing is when you include a clue in your description of the environment that suggests there may be a hidden danger or object present. If you're not already doing this, give it a try. In addition to setting up a fair challenge for the players, it makes it easy to figure out which ability checks to call for based on what your players describe they want to do.So let's say in your description of a chamber in the dungeon, you telegraph the existence of a trap by mentioning a scorch mark on the wall opposite a locked wooden door. "What do you do?" you ask the players, prompting their 3rd-level characters to action. Player A says he wants to quickly examine the door for traps before attempting to open it. He's paranoid about door traps in dungeons, but doesn't want to spend much time on it as the party is in a hurry. Player B establishes that she wants her character to deduce what the scorch mark could mean given its position on the wall. The DM, knowing a carefully hidden fire trap exists on the stone door, figures that both actions by the characters have an uncertain outcome.Because Player A trying to detect the presence of a hidden object (a trap), it is appropriate for the DM to call for a Wisdom (Perception) check. Player B is trying to deduce the meaning of a clue (the scorch mark) and this is a good place for an Intelligence (Investigation) check. The DM sets the DC based on the circumstances and the players' stated approaches to their goals: DC 15 for the Wisdom (Perception) check, DC 10 for the Intelligence (Investigation) check. Player A botches the roll and finds nothing - it's going to take more than a cursory examination to find this trap. Player B aces the check and the DM tells her that the scorch mark comes from flame likely ejected from the area of the door. Notice the difference here between searching (Perception) and deducing (Investigation).Now the players have two pieces of information on which to base their next decision: (1) A cursory examination revealed no traps and (2) the scorch mark indicates fire having come from the area of the door sometime in the past. At this point they may decide to spend time as a resource (10x normal) to make an exhaustive search of the door to find the trap they suspect is there (auto-success). Or they may give their barbarian friend a potion of fire resistance and have him bash the door down to save time. Or the party's wizard might hit the door with a knock spell, then mage hand to open it up while everyone remains a safe distance away. Or...Anyway, that's how I do it. Note also that the players did not ask to make ability checks - they simply described what they wanted to do (goal and approach) and the DM decided whether that called for an ability check or not.</blockquote>

Verification