When exactly are Spot/Listen reflexive?

[shilsen]

Guys, thanks for your time and input with this-- I think I do agree with you that most of the time these are skills are "passive" and hence mostly "reflexive". Good points, especially Mavrik, Tatsukun, Li Shenron, and Patryn of Elvenshae nice call on the "aid another"...

Just to underline what has already been said, CAdv actually has a feat called Quick Reconnoiter, which lets you make a Spot and Listen check each round as a free action. In describing how the skills work without the feat, it says "Normal: Using Spot or Listen in a reactive fashion is a free action, but actively trying to make a Spot check or Listen check requires a move action."

Anyone have any tips/ideas/house rules on free actions? Does anyone limit them in the name of speeding-up combat a little, or for the most part allow as many as possible? Or would this be considered a new thread??

I'm planning to use a house rule whereby all magic activations (spells, items, some feats, etc.) that take a free action will count as a swift actions, so you can only do one in a round. So nobody in my game will be able to, for example, activate Boots of Speed, use the Divine Might feat, use the Arcane Strike feat, and use the Wraithstrike spell all in the same round (which, by the RAW, you can).

 

[dcollins]

Can someone please help me define when exactly as skill can be used basically for free as a reflexive action, and when it takes a standard action as normal? Much appreciated...

From the SRD:

Spot... Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to spot something in a reactive manner you can make a Spot check without using an action. Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action.

Listen... Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to hear something in a reactive manner (such as when someone makes a noise or you move into a new area), you can make a Listen check without using an action. Trying to hear something you failed to hear previously is a move action.

To me, the skills are pretty clear. The first time an obscured "something" could possibly be noticed by your character, the DM makes one secret Spot/Listen check. That's reactive, and it's a non-action (in fact, you shouldn't even know about the check taking place).

Anything other than that, any time a player calls for a check (because something's suspicious, and they presumably suspect that they failed a reactive check sometime earlier), then that is a move action on the part of the character.

 

[Mavrik]

I like the idea of 'fiddling' with the free actions in a round... I sometimes get the same level of 'irk' when a player goes... spot that, listen to that, use a knowledge check and then spellcraft it... and tell the party all about what you have seen... all free actions.

I like the idea of swift and immediate action for everthing ... leaving only talking as a free action, but it needs work

Mavrik

 

[Liquidsabre]

I use spot/listen/knowledge checks as reflexive actions (free action anytime) for PCs when they are subjected to new environmental conditions and stimuli. A regular action if otherwise.