Alternate Skill Uses: Bluff / Sense Motive

[drsparnum]

Issue 138 has an article about some new uses for skills like heal/bluff and some guidelines about when to use certain skills (spot/listen/search).

In my game we use a house rule for bluff and sense motive. If the monster is hiding and the PC spots them I let them make a bluff roll opposed by a sense motive roll to pretend they didn't see the monster ... if they want. Many times you'll just shoot the monster who tried to sneak up on you, but sometimes you don't want the monster to be tipped off that you're on to them. Similiarly, when a PC is hiding, and they tell me they're wondering if the monster spotted them I ask for a sense motive roll. It seems like about 1/3 times someone spots a hider they don't want the hider to know he was spotted.

I also like it because it gives some additional uses for bluff/sense motive. Any new options I can add to skills that aren't in the big five (tumble, listen, spot, spellcraft, concentration) seems like something worth considering. Along these lines, I'm incorporating some of their advice on heal checks.

[Tequila Sunrise]

I like it! I've never had a player want to hide that they've spotted a monster but I'm sure it will come up and I always figured on using something like this.

[baudot]

Bluff/ense Motive aren't heavily used skills in your game?
We play very, very differently...

[DocG]

baudot wrote:

Bluff/ense Motive aren't heavily used skills in your game?

We play very, very differently...

Yeah that all depends on the players. I had one group that used diplomacy/bluff all the time to resolve encounters, and another group that wanted to resolve everything with a melee.

[Quex Ul]

I read somewhere where you can use bluff to fake weakness in melee to encorage an opponent to attack you. Kind of like a taunt. I am considering making a house rule taunt skill based on charisma. (hmmm... I think I'll start a neww thread.