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Message: <blockquote data-quote="airwalkrr" data-source="post: 5707315" data-attributes="member: 12460">If there is a trap, the PC must state that he is using Search on a 5-ft square where either the trigger or target area of the trap is located in order to discover its presence. Search is not an automatic or passive check. It is something that a PC must actively state he is using.Spot does not apply to finding traps in the RAW, ever. Now, I have been known to rule zero that a character with trapfinding who is about to step into a trap can make a Spot check to notice that something is unusual, but only if it is the kind of thing that might be noticed with a casual glance. I might include a tripwire, since it is something that is out of place, but a pressure plate seamlessly blended into the floor as a flagstone would require a Search check always.As a side note, I generally only make a Spot check automatic when there is imminent danger to a PC. For example, at the start of the encounter with a sneaking opponent, I will allow the PCs a Spot (and Listen) check to detect the enemy launching a surprise attack in order to give them a chance to act in the surprise round. Now if a player has stated his character is deliberately standing watch, I might give him a Spot (and Listen) check earlier. But generally, unless there is some immediate threat to a PC, I treat Spot as an active skill as well.</blockquote>