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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Koloth" data-source="post: 9809842" data-attributes="member: 6706231">Another aspect of player skill vs character skill is what about new players?   Expecting a 1st time player to know about D&D tropes on traps, seducing the barmaid, etc is probably going to create an ex-D&D player frustrated by the group's expectations.  It is almost a certainty that the first time player's character is far more experienced at <D&D activity> then the player.  If the character has some type of innate trap finding ability, then that should work even if the player is stubbornly stating, "My character keeps moving down the hallway."  At some point, the GM should interrupt with "That trap finding ability your character has just went off...." If after that, the player keeps moving the character down the hallway, well that is how players learn.   OTOH, if the character has zero trap skill and a base perception type ability of negative, no amount of the player stating "My character is carefully checking for traps." should allow that character to find a well hidden trap.  Character build choices have consequences.  If the player built a Hulk Smash type character, that player shouldn't expect Hulk to be a subtle trap finder no matter how skilled the player is at RPGs.  Nor should a IRL charismatic player expect a character with charisma as a dump stat to have much luck with the seduce barmaid try.</blockquote>