Taking 10

[Dimwhit]

Can you take 10 when trying to use the spot skill vs. someone else's hide? Are there any skills that don't allow you to take 10? (Assuming your'e not rushed, threatened, or distracted.)

 

[Gog]

The only skill I know of that you can't take 10 on is Use magic device.

 

[Janos Antero]

I believe you can not take a 10 versus Magical Traps or any other situation where failure = pain. Don't have the books to quote you directly atm though.

 

[Christian]

I believe you can not take a 10 versus Magical Traps or any other situation where failure = pain. Don't have the books to quote you directly atm though.

That's the rule for taking 20, Janos. To take 10, you just have to be not rushed or under pressure-there's no other restriction in the books.

The issue the OP is referring to is the 'passive' use of skills. My answer would be 'no', just because the player can't announce that he's taking 10 when he's not even aware there's a roll to be made. Spot and Listen checks are often made to see if a character notices something; the DM can't well (unless he has a huge amount of faith in his players' role-playing capability) have them making those rolls. "There's a ninja hiding in the bushes by the path. Roll to see if you notice him." "Can I take 10?" (Yeah, I know-you wouldn't say what he's rolling to Spot. You're still revealing that there's something there to try to Spot by calling for the roll.)

I'll often call for a Spot/Listen roll as an ambush is sprung to see who's surprised, but I sure wouldn't allow a take 10 in that circumstance-that certainly doesn't count as a non-pressure situation.

 

[Janos Antero]

Actually I was refering to the part of Taking a 10 about not being rushed, or threatened. Distractions or threats making it impossible to take a 10, and I believe traps qualify as threats.

 

[andargor]

As has been posted before, read Sean K. Reynolds' arcticle on Take 20 .

You could Take 20 for Spot vs. Hide, since there is no consequence for failure as you can keep searching for however long you want. Of course, this takes around 2 minutes, and the hiding party can take action at any time before being discovered. Same thing with Take 10, which would take 1 minute.

If the hiding party is getting ready to spring out from the bushes, then you only get a roll.

As for magical traps, you can Take 20 if you are actively searching for them (or Take 10 if you wish to work faster). That's 2 minutes per 5' (or 1 minute per 5' for Take 10). Very slow work.

If you're walking down a corridor, and you get a Spot check to see the trap before it's triggered, you only get a roll.


EDIT: The first paragraph should say "Search vs. Hide", if you are actively searching.

Andargor

 

[Dimwhit]

Same thing with Take 10, which would take 1 minute.

Where do you get this? I've never seen anything that says taking 10 takes any longer than rolling a normal skill check. I've never heard it takes 1 minute.

 

[andargor]

Where do you get this? I've never seen anything that says taking 10 takes any longer than rolling a normal skill check. I've never heard it takes 1 minute.

From the SRD:

Taking 10: When the character is not in a rush and is not being threatened or distracted, the character may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the character's result as if the character had rolled a 10.
Taking 20: When the character has plenty of time (generally 2 minutes for a skill that can normally be checked in 1 round, one full-round action, or one standard action), and when the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, the character can take 20.
Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the character's result as if the character had rolled a 20. Taking 20 means the character is trying until the character gets it right. Taking 20 takes about twenty times as long as making a single check would take.

Take 10: 10x the time (1 minute). Take 20: 20x the time (2 minutes).

Andargor

 

[Janos Antero]

Hrm, ok so they don't count as threats, I stand corrected.

 

[Dimwhit]

Take 10: 10x the time (1 minute). Take 20: 20x the time (2 minutes).

Well, I agree with you on the Take 20. But that description you just quoted says nothing about Taking 10 requiring a minute. You're just taking an average roll instead of rolling the die yourself. Reading that, I would still say Taking 10 only requires a standard action (or however long the standard check is).

Can we get a third opinion from someone?