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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bill Zebub" data-source="post: 9545229" data-attributes="member: 7031982">Ok, but, is this an argument that because some people are bad at telegraphing, passive rolls are better/preferable? Or does it just mean that a great of handing it is, admittedly, hard?  (And, if so, is there a way to get better at it?)All of this can be alleviated by the way these things are designed.  The way I like to handle it is that if they get a "whiff" of something that's enough information to ensure success.  So, in my secret door example, as long as they realize that footsteps are disappearing means some kind of secret door, which they could learn through asking questions, "Does the tunnel change such that we don't leave footsteps, either?  Is there any indication that the footsteps have been erased?" etc., then as soon as they say, "I'm going to look around for secret doors right where the footsteps disappeared" then they are going to find the secret.So the 'challenge' (if you can call it that in this case) is to simply deduce what the clues mean.  I'm not then going to gate success around a lot random searches.I'm reminded of quests in games like WoW, where the clue is "talk to the NPCs and see if anybody knows anything" and there are literally 30 different NPCs.  At that point I go straight to the internet to find out which NPCs.  Talking to all of them is not interesting.EDIT: Also, I agree with you about failure = success with complication.  Also called "failing forward."  Dungeon World is designed this way mechanically.  You pick the lock, but your lockpick breaks off inside the lock, so you no longer have tools and everybody will know you picked it.You climb the cliff without falling and dying but you had to drop your pack.  (Well, make it a choice...)You successfully persuade the guard to let you pass, but he insists on accompanying you.Etc.</blockquote>

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