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<blockquote data-quote="Jeff Wilder" data-source="post: 1802119" data-attributes="member: 5122">One of the very few criticisms I have with 3E is in use of the Search skill.&nbsp; I'm wondering if I'm missing something.Back in days of yore, a group of PCs might enter a dungeon room to be told, &quot;It looks like long ago this was a sumptious bed-chamber.&nbsp; Apparently it's still serving that function, because the thick dust has been disturbed in several places.&nbsp; There is a canopy bed, a chest of drawers, a desk (though its chair has been smashed to kindling), and a footlocker.&quot;If they wanted to search the room -- and who didn't? -- PCs would divide the work: &quot;I'll search the bed,&quot; &quot;I'll go through the drawers of the desk and look especially for secret compartments,&quot; &quot;Anything interesting in the chest of drawers?&quot;, and &quot;Does it look like the footlocker has a lock on it?&quot;Under 3E, that's all changed.&nbsp; Not only does searching seem to fall solely upon one or two people in the group -- the ones with maxed-out Search, but players don't seem willing to specify how or what they're searching like they used to.&nbsp; Nowadays it's just, &quot;Okay, Harry the Rogue Takes Ten searching the room.&nbsp; That's a 22.&nbsp; What do we find?&quot;I wondered for a while if it was just my group who was resistant to being more specific, but it doesn't seem to be the case.Does anybody else see this as, well, just not as interesting or fun as it used to be, or am I making something out of nothing?&nbsp; Should I just accept the new Search methodology as &quot;correct and okay,&quot; or is there something I can do about it?One thing I've considered is upping the DCs -- probably by 5 -- to find items in specific places -- e.g., a pouch of coins stashed in the mattress of a feather bed.&nbsp; So if the overall DC to find the pouch is listed as 20, if the PCs just toss the room and don't specifically mention searching the bed, it'd be DC 25 to find the pouch.Alternately, but similarly -- and this would reward PCs also searching who might not have Search skills maxed -- instead of upping the DC for a general search, I've considered lowering the DC for a specific search.&nbsp; So, in the same example, someone searching the bed would need a Search check of 15, while a general search would find it on 20.Anyway, is there a mechanism to Search that I'm overlooking (other than Aiding a search with a DC 10 check, which does help to a limited extent).&nbsp; Am I wrong that the typical room search has changed?&nbsp; Am I right that it's changed, but wrong that it's for the worse?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jeff Wilder, post: 1802119, member: 5122"] One of the very few criticisms I have with 3E is in use of the Search skill. I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Back in days of yore, a group of PCs might enter a dungeon room to be told, "It looks like long ago this was a sumptious bed-chamber. Apparently it's still serving that function, because the thick dust has been disturbed in several places. There is a canopy bed, a chest of drawers, a desk (though its chair has been smashed to kindling), and a footlocker." If they wanted to search the room -- and who didn't? -- PCs would divide the work: "I'll search the bed," "I'll go through the drawers of the desk and look especially for secret compartments," "Anything interesting in the chest of drawers?", and "Does it look like the footlocker has a lock on it?" Under 3E, that's all changed. Not only does searching seem to fall solely upon one or two people in the group -- the ones with maxed-out Search, but players don't seem willing to specify [i]how or what[/i] they're searching like they used to. Nowadays it's just, "Okay, Harry the Rogue Takes Ten searching the room. That's a 22. What do we find?" I wondered for a while if it was just my group who was resistant to being more specific, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Does anybody else see this as, well, just not as interesting or fun as it used to be, or am I making something out of nothing? Should I just accept the new Search methodology as "correct and okay," or is there something I can do about it? One thing I've considered is upping the DCs -- probably by 5 -- to find items in specific places -- e.g., a pouch of coins stashed in the mattress of a feather bed. So if the overall DC to find the pouch is listed as 20, if the PCs just toss the room and don't specifically mention searching the bed, it'd be DC 25 to find the pouch. Alternately, but similarly -- and this would reward PCs also searching who might not have Search skills maxed -- instead of upping the DC for a general search, I've considered lowering the DC for a specific search. So, in the same example, someone searching the bed would need a Search check of 15, while a general search would find it on 20. Anyway, is there a mechanism to Search that I'm overlooking (other than Aiding a search with a DC 10 check, which does help to a limited extent). Am I wrong that the typical room search has changed? Am I right that it's changed, but wrong that it's for the worse? [/QUOTE]

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