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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 2703604" data-attributes="member: 35788">I allows the players to declare their skill checks whenever they want them.  I say declare because online roleplaying as the DM I roll all the dice.  But, if we are talking tabletop - which we appear to be - I try to follow these rules:1.  If the player declares they want the check, I let the player roll.  No reason not to.  I always give information out, so players don't really know if they succeeded or failed.  They just know they got information.EX: Jump check.  If they make it, its pretty obvious.  If they don't, its pretty obvious.  On the other hand, Diplomacy has many more "gray" possibilities to play with as the DM.  I think you catch my drift.2. If the player does not ask for the check, I roll privately.  This way the players see me roll dice, but they don't know why.  And, I often roll dice out of boredom or fidgits ... so they often don't even know if the die roll was on purpose or just me being me.EX: Spot check.  If the player doesn't ask for the spot check, I may roll to see if they saw something out of the corner of their eye.  If they fail, I say nothing.  If they succeed, I give them the info.  Most other checks work this way if I am rolling on behalf of the player because they didn't ask for it specifically.Now, those aren't rules as stated.  But they are the guidelines I typically use.</blockquote>