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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 7049569" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya!As [MENTION=6775477]Shiroiken[/MENTION] said, the Players *don't decide* when they get to make a check. Making any sort of skill check, save, or anything else for that matter, is when the DM says to do so. Heck when I'm looking for a player to make some kind of skill check or ability save I usually just say "Roll d20 for me". If I'm checking their PC's Perception and the players had stated they are being 'extra cautious' or slow; then I add their Perception adjustment (I have Passive Perception, Passive Insight and any 'important' skill for that character; e.g., Survival for a Ranger , Knowledge for Wizard types and Bards, Stealth for Thieves, etc). I relay any info that result may have garnered...I DM 5e very similar to how I DM BECMI/1e (or, hell, just about any game I run actually!). That is to say I DM "old skool". If a door is trapped with a falling block, I'll say something like "The door in front of you looks similar to the other dungeon doors you've seen. This one doesn't seem to be used very often at all, as a large spiderweb connects from the ceiling to the top and upper left side of the door. There also seems to be a bit more dirt, dust and small rocks around the floor in front of the door". If the players are quick and on the ball they may suspect this door isn't used often for a reason. I will then use Perception to determine any extra info the PC's may discern. Passive if the players aren't "on the ball" (e.g., "Oh, ok. Well, I'll listen at the door"). If they say "Hold on guys. Somethings not right here...", then a Perception check is made in secret...I don't let the players roll them because if someone rolls, say, an 18 and has +6, and I say "Nothing stands out other than this area and door isn't used much", the roll, and my description, is pretty much the same as saying "You see no traps". If the result is good (beats the trap DC), I relay the type of trap (e.g., "The debris and pits, cracks and chips on some of the flagstones indicate some sort of falling block type trap"). Once a trap has been "found", it's up to the player to see if they want to try and disable/overcome/neutralize it. This is when other skills come into play; Thieves' Tools for most 'lock or fine trigger-traps', or Investigation for 'bigger or macro-type traps'. In the example above, a falling block trap would be Investigation. My players know that if they opt to try and disarm/overcome/neutralize a trap, and they fail, they almost always 'spring' the trap. So, owing to my "old skool" roots, my players will usually describe how/what they are doing to minimize the effects of failing to 'remove' the trap. If their description would make the trap ineffective, then they simply trigger it and no harm, no foul (e.g, "I'll tie a rope to the door handle, use a spike in the opposite wall to act as a fulcrum, wrap the rope around that, then pull from...I guess 35' or so away" <-- door opens, block falls, PC's safe).Anyway, that's how I handle traps. Perception to see if a PC notices anything odd. Player choice to decide to search the area more closely. Perception to see if they notice the trap. Investigation (or whatever is appropriate) to figure out how to disarm the trap. To put it another way, it's not just "Make a Perception check. --rolls-- Ok, you find a trap" anytime the PC's come upon some form of trap. It's up to the PLAYERS to decide if some area, item or whatever deserves a more careful perusal. So, yeah, I do use Passive Perception^_^Paul L. Ming</blockquote>

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