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Searching and Safely Triggering Traps and Secret Doors
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<blockquote data-quote="FitzTheRuke" data-source="post: 9033946" data-attributes="member: 59816"><p>5e RAW has a pit-trap as being discovered by a Passive Perception of 10. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never seen a D&D character with a PP <em>under</em> 10, which means (on the surface) that ALL pit traps are discovered ALL THE TIME.</p><p></p><p>But are they? It was this conundrum that solidified my take on Passive Perception - which is: I use PP to remind me (as DM) to give out hints and details. For example, "A long hall stretches before you. Ten feet ahead, there's an area covered with scattered gravel" (if it's just a tarp concealed by gravel) or "with irregular floor-tiles" (if it's a step-on-the-stone and the floor opens-type pit). What I DON'T do is say, "There's a pit trap in front of you."</p><p></p><p>THEN, they can choose to ignore and walk forward (which I see quite a lot) or say, "I crouch down and take a look at that gravel/floor tiles". </p><p></p><p>In this way I actually <em>prefer</em> the DCs to be low, like the designers have made for 5e Pit Traps, because I don't actually WANT to just say "as you walk down the hall the floor opens in a pit - roll a dex save." with no chance for them to find it ahead of time. But I also don't want, "You spot a pit trap." That would suck.</p><p></p><p>SO... to answer: I'd like all that to be spelled out more explicitly. Or if they have something <em>else</em> in mind, tell us what it is. Because I think as things stand you'd see a lot of: 1) DMs raising the DC; 2) DMs just telling players they spot a trap; 3) DMs not bothering with traps.</p><p></p><p> I agree with the OP that after you spot the trap's "tell", then most checks involved would be Investigation, not Perception. (Or Thieves' Tools, to disarm).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FitzTheRuke, post: 9033946, member: 59816"] 5e RAW has a pit-trap as being discovered by a Passive Perception of 10. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never seen a D&D character with a PP [I]under[/I] 10, which means (on the surface) that ALL pit traps are discovered ALL THE TIME. But are they? It was this conundrum that solidified my take on Passive Perception - which is: I use PP to remind me (as DM) to give out hints and details. For example, "A long hall stretches before you. Ten feet ahead, there's an area covered with scattered gravel" (if it's just a tarp concealed by gravel) or "with irregular floor-tiles" (if it's a step-on-the-stone and the floor opens-type pit). What I DON'T do is say, "There's a pit trap in front of you." THEN, they can choose to ignore and walk forward (which I see quite a lot) or say, "I crouch down and take a look at that gravel/floor tiles". In this way I actually [I]prefer[/I] the DCs to be low, like the designers have made for 5e Pit Traps, because I don't actually WANT to just say "as you walk down the hall the floor opens in a pit - roll a dex save." with no chance for them to find it ahead of time. But I also don't want, "You spot a pit trap." That would suck. SO... to answer: I'd like all that to be spelled out more explicitly. Or if they have something [I]else[/I] in mind, tell us what it is. Because I think as things stand you'd see a lot of: 1) DMs raising the DC; 2) DMs just telling players they spot a trap; 3) DMs not bothering with traps. I agree with the OP that after you spot the trap's "tell", then most checks involved would be Investigation, not Perception. (Or Thieves' Tools, to disarm). [/QUOTE]
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