The Elf found a secret door.

[tonym]

"We Elf the room."

Haha, I like that.

There's a gnome Rogue in my party. In dungeons, he tends to scout ahead of the party, checking corridors for traps.

Next time we hit a suspicious-looking corridor, I think I'll say to my DM, "We GNOME the corridor"...



Tony M

 

[Norfleet]

But gnomes investigate things by poking them and prodding them, particularly if they're interestingly mechanical-looking, a process which tends to cause the death of everyone around the gnome, who somehow survives.

 

[SylverFlame]

I'd look at this with a bit of real world logic. When you've lost something then you check the most obvious places first. In the case of "elfing" this would amount to pulling ropes, pushing stones, grabbing books, etc.

Once you've found this doesn't work, you get a little more creative. Maybe the trigger requires you to touch the wall with your eyes closed, or you need to be a specific race/class/alignment. That sort of stuff.

With this logic, higher search rolls/skill points mean you're faster at checking the basics, and more creative in the secondaries.

Also, as an aside, if a DM wants to be called some four letter expletives, here's a REALLY fun one that can't be done by a search check and is only found by creative or crazy parties.

I once set up a secret door that would glow when the proper requirements were met: The room had to be in complete darkness. If you're searching you likely have a torch, unless the whole party has darkvision. Set up a few candles in the room and the PC's may never find the door. By pure luck, the party used a wind spell in combat (at my suggestion to the wizard) and they blew out all the candles. I was dodging dice for a week because of that one.

 

[Angcuru]

Now it the elf is a rogue with 10 ranks in spot, search, and disable device, as well as high scores in dex, wis, and int.......
*Elven Rogue walks into room* *looks around*
*pulls hidden lever that NO ONE else noticed, opening up the wall to reveal a cleverly hidden door* *doesn't say a word*

Smile and nod.

 

[tonym]

But gnomes investigate things by poking them and prodding them, particularly if they're interestingly mechanical-looking, a process which tends to cause the death of everyone around the gnome, who somehow survives.

Hey, we're experienced adventurers. We stay FAR away from that gnome when he's trap-checking. After all, a whole corridor almost fell on our heads once.

Once bitten, twice shy, as they say. Or, rather, once sprayed by acid, stay twice as distant.


Tony M

 

[Norfleet]

I'd look at this with a bit of real world logic. When you've lost something then you check the most obvious places first. In the case of "elfing" this would amount to pulling ropes, pushing stones, grabbing books, etc.

Yes, because that's how HUMANS search for things. Elves just notice them by "elfing" the room, which is why their ability to find things is mentioned specifically.

 

[SylverFlame]

Norfleet, I assumed similar logic trains between elves and humans due to elves not having an alien mind set. In the case of, oh, say, Mind Flayers, they may ignore certain things due to the alien mind set.

Of course, even if elves don't go through the same items as humans, I still stand by the bases of my affirmation.

Hmm, I'm realizing I sound rather pompous in this post. Don't mean to, long day at work...