Question: How to search for clues in a room... ???

[SinisterPansy]

So, let me paint this general picture... tell me if i got this right...

My players are at an inn... someone was murdered in the common room. They want to search the common room for clues...
How, mechanically, do I do this?

The rules for search are that it takes one round to search a 5x5 area. Does this mean I have my players pick a square to search, have them roll a search check and let them know if they find anything or not on that square? Lather, rinse, repeat?

That sounds like it would take a lot of time and dice rolling!!! Is there a better way?

The common room is large, 40'x25'.

???

 

[smetzger]

Yup, thats how its done. Remember that they can also take 10 or take 20 on those search rolls.

They can also specify what objects they are examining. Like the bar, the table, etc.

 

[silvertable81]

If I was looking for murder clues, I'd definitely take twenty, with a room that size it would take an hour and twenty minutes. That's 20 rounds (2 minutes) per 5 foot square.
The player with the highest modifier to his search roll would make the actual checks, with his friends rolling assist checks. If it turns out he'd need to roll a ten to find the clue, then cut the time in half, if he'd need an 18 subtract 8 minutes.
That's how I think it should work.

 

[Pielorinho]

Note that reducing the time it takes to take 20 on an action based on the action's DC is a house-rule; it's a reasonably cool one, though.

Here's what I'd have folks do:
-Walk through the room quickly; allow a spot check to notice anything out of the ordinary. The DC on this should be fairly high; if a clue isn't visible on a walkthrough (e.g., a dagger hidden under a chair's cushion, a message scratched into the underside of a table), there's no chance it'll be noticed on a walkthrough.
-Quick search of the room: taking ten, number of 5' squares/10 minutes, to find clues. this room is 8 squares by 5 squares, or 40 squares; this search will take 4 minutes.
-Thorough search of the room: take 20 searching the room. This is the 80 minute search. Decide on the method of search (e.g., starting at the entrance and sweeping across the room to the back wall), and let folks know when they find a clue: that way, if the murder weapon is hidden atop the doorframe, they don't spend 80 minutes searching for it.

Note that this technique risks disturbing some of the evidence in the room on the first two walkthroughs; if you're not pressed for time, you may want to go straight to the third walkthrough. But if there's a time constraint, the first two walkthroughs may save you a lot of time.

Note also that some folks interpret 5' square as a surface-area search; if the PCs want to search the walls, they'll need to do that separately. Personally, I find that clunky, and allow a 5' square search to find any clues within reach of a PC in that area.

Daniel

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Spells might help, too.