D&D 5E Use of Investigation

[77IM]

For searching, I allow Perception and Investigation to be used equally. I don't see any fun reason to restrict searching for (traps|secret doors|loot|clues) to just one or the other of these two skills. I WANT players to find that stuff and allowing both skills lets the game keep moving forward, while also allowing players to show off their PCs' particular idioms.

Beyond searching, I use Perception for sensing something immediately, perhaps even passively, like a hidden ambush or a Sleight of Hand attempt. Investigate is for long-term information-gathering; asking around, casing the joint, reading through dusty old tomes, etc.

 

[Staccat0]

I use Investigation a lot. Basically, long story short, I just treat it as "search" because Perception gets too much love. It actually inspired me to add a lot of "crime scene" type situations to my quests.

If a player just describes their character looking in the right place for the right thing, I just give it to them with no roll.

Often I will have clues written on index cards and if players beat DC 15 they get a clue, but the character describes out loud how they found the clue. It keeps everything grounded in stprytelling and RP for us and gives the players ownership over their actions. I persoanlly don't care if they search the drawer - that's up to them. For me, the important part is their character found the key.

Of course, this leds to hilarious stuff like a player saying,
"I take my finger and run it along the dresser. I taste some of the dust, and then announce, 'It seems as though the door wasn't forced open! That means the killer may have had a key!" and other some such nonsense, but it works for us.

 

[Kalshane]

My understanding of Perception vs. Investigation vs. Thieves Tools in regards to traps is this:

Perception: Determine the existence of a trap.

Investigation: Determine how the trap works.

Thieves Tools: Actually disable the trap, if there's not a more obvious method (pulling the hidden lever, plugging the arrow holes, etc) which a successful Investigation roll would tell you.

I also use Investigation as a general "figuring things out" skill if there's not something more directly appropriate (such as Arcana or Medicine).