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<blockquote data-quote="ezo" data-source="post: 9243064" data-attributes="member: 7037866">Yeah, the term &quot;Passive&quot; for Passive Perception is very misleading IMO.It is used for two things, RAW:1. Using it when making repeated checks is inconvenient as a PC performs a check over and over.2. When the DM wants the result of a Perception check to be &quot;secret&quot;. I.e. the DM assumes the player's roll is a 10.&quot;Passive&quot; is being used in the sense that the player doesn't roll. Calling it &quot;Repeated or Secret Checks&quot; would be more appropriate IMO. As others have mentioned, it is sort of like the old &quot;Take 10&quot; option.Anyway, use #1 above is the common usage IME. A PC is paying attention, looking around for any danger or strange things, etc. so the default roll of constant Wisdom (Perception) checks is a 10 + modifiers.Personally, I find this somewhat interesting because, in cases like uses of Stealth, for instance, typically the DM has the player roll once and use just that roll versus all opposing Passive Perceptions unless the situation changes. Why doesn't the DM just use a Passive Stealth, as the idea of repeated Dexterity (Stealth) checks would likely be more reasonable than a single check.After all, it moves into meta-gaming when a player rolls a Stealth check and gets low, the player knows the PC might be found out. But, the roll doesn't necessarily mean the PC knows they &quot;screwed up&quot; and put in a bad performance... Unless they REALLY screw up, the PC should always think they are being stealthy, shouldn't they?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ezo, post: 9243064, member: 7037866"] Yeah, the term "Passive" for Passive Perception is very misleading IMO. It is used for two things, RAW: 1. Using it when making repeated checks is inconvenient as a PC performs a check over and over. 2. When the DM wants the result of a Perception check to be "secret". I.e. the DM assumes the player's roll is a 10. "Passive" is being used in the sense that the player doesn't roll. Calling it "Repeated or Secret Checks" would be more appropriate IMO. As others have mentioned, it is sort of like the old "Take 10" option. Anyway, use #1 above is the common usage IME. A PC is paying attention, looking around for any danger or strange things, etc. so the default roll of constant Wisdom (Perception) checks is a 10 + modifiers. Personally, I find this somewhat interesting because, in cases like uses of Stealth, for instance, typically the DM has the player roll [I]once[/I] and use just that roll versus all opposing Passive Perceptions unless the situation changes. Why doesn't the DM just use a Passive Stealth, as the idea of repeated Dexterity (Stealth) checks would likely be more reasonable than a single check. After all, it moves into meta-gaming when a player rolls a Stealth check and gets low, the player [I]knows[/I] the PC might be found out. But, the roll doesn't necessarily mean the PC knows they "screwed up" and put in a bad performance... Unless they [I]REALLY[/I] screw up, the PC should always [I]think[/I] they are being stealthy, shouldn't they? [/QUOTE]

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