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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6601941" data-attributes="member: 97077">I see Mearls' comments as no more or less valid than any other DM which is to say that's how he rules it as his table. In this case, I don't rule it that way because it effectively kicks the meaningful decision-making back to character creation rather than keeping it during play. I want the trade-off as suggested in the Basic Rules (page 65).Which is why the DM takes these things into consideration when deciding whether the outcome of the situation is uncertain enough to warrant a check (passive or otherwise), whether the check has advantage or disadvantage, or whether the outcome is certain i.e. the character does or doesn't notice the threat (no check).The rules don't require us to do anything. The rules serve the DM, not the other way around. They come into play when the DM says so to resolve uncertainty that the DM establishes.The rules would seem to suggest otherwise. First, and again, the DM decides whether a situation is uncertain enough to use mechanics - he or she might decide on automatic success or failure instead. As well, the section you're referencing doesn't mention "exploration turns" and earlier in that chapter it suggests that pace and travel takes place over minutes, hours, and days, not just hours as you say. A slow pace is 200 feet per minute. One can imagine that searching a 20 x 20 chamber for secret doors might include walking the perimeter of that room thrice (240 feet, just over a minute) while poking around. That's a task being performed repeatedly and thus may warrant a passive Perception check.Further, it states that if a hidden threat is in rear of the party, for example, the DM may say that the front and middle ranks have no chance of contributing their passive Perception to determining if they notice it. It says if someone is foraging - which sounds not so different than "searching through a chest of drawers" - that you also don't get the benefit of your passive Perception. So while that character is tossing the room for secret doors as above, maybe he or she can't also be alert for the mimic on the wall that takes the form of a painting. I see no reason to treat these rules as some subsystem that comes into effect when the characters are walking for a minute or more. It reinforces to me that there is sometimes a cost to doing something other than keeping an eye out for hidden threats and that the fictional situation matters more than the mechanics.In addition, it's not uncommon to see DMs struggling with characters that have a very high passive Perception - RPG forums are rife with this sort of complaint. Ruling it the way I suggest takes some of the power away from passive Perception. It means that if a player builds a character with a very high PP, they need to actually be the guy who is keeping watch, standing guard, or tapping with the 10'-pole in order to get the most benefit from their investment. They can't also be the guy who tracks and forages and searches for secret doors (unless it's a ranger in favored terrain) while still picking up on every hidden trap or monster. This makes it a meaningful choice during play and helps with ensuring equal contribution throughout the party. Another example: My rogue, Chuck Dagger, has a PP of 20 at 1st level. You could almost see the DM's dismay when realizing this. But as I explained to him, look, if I'm doing anything other than keeping watch for hidden threats, it simply doesn't apply. So when I'm going down the corridor looking for secret doors, I know that I could run afoul of a trap or monster. That's a meaningful choice I made, one that has potential consequences. Alternatively, I can keep an eye out for trouble and someone else with a lower PP can go look for those secret doors. This reinforces the fact that Chuck can't do it all alone and encourages teamwork. Without ruling it this way, my meaningful choice occurs only when I created the character and took Observant feat and Expertise in Perception. My way, it's both a meaningful investment during character generation and a meaningful choice during play.</blockquote>

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