Secret Doors and Traps - Perception Checks


Shackled City Adventure Path

Dark Archive

Hi All,

I'm curious as to how you handle Perception checks for traps and secret doors. If your PCs are just walking down a hallway not looking for anything in particular, they hit a trap - fine. But what if they are in a room with a trap and a secret door? If the rogue says "I search the room" and he gets a good roll on his perception, does he see everything (assuming he beats all DCs), or do you force him to be more specific when he searches? ie: I search the room for traps. or I search for secret doors.

I'm just curious if I should force the PCs to look specifically for the traps and secret doors, or just reveal everything in the room (unless otherwise hidden in chests, etc) when the rogue searches and beats all the DCs.

Cheers,
Ulf.


Ulfskar wrote:

Hi All,

I'm curious as to how you handle Perception checks for traps and secret doors. If your PCs are just walking down a hallway not looking for anything in particular, they hit a trap - fine. But what if they are in a room with a trap and a secret door? If the rogue says "I search the room" and he gets a good roll on his perception, does he see everything (assuming he beats all DCs), or do you force him to be more specific when he searches? ie: I search the room for traps. or I search for secret doors.

I'm just curious if I should force the PCs to look specifically for the traps and secret doors, or just reveal everything in the room (unless otherwise hidden in chests, etc) when the rogue searches and beats all the DCs.

Cheers,
Ulf.

elves get an automatic search in 3.5, and IIRC dwarves get one in pathfinder in stone areas.

I make them roll specifically to find traps, but a general search check for anything else.

Dark Archive

Sorry, I'm using the PF rules :)

As noted in the AP, there are some rooms with multiple secret doors and traps. Should 1 search reveal all of the secret doors?


Ulfskar wrote:

Sorry, I'm using the PF rules :)

As noted in the AP, there are some rooms with multiple secret doors and traps. Should 1 search reveal all of the secret doors?

That is how I do it. It saves time.


actually elves still get it in pathfinder.

from the PFPRD.

"Secret Doors: Disguised as a bare patch of wall (or floor or ceiling), a bookcase, a fireplace, or a fountain, a secret door leads to a secret passage or room. Someone examining the area finds a secret door, if one exists, on a successful Perception check (DC 20 for a typical secret door to DC 30 for a well-hidden secret door). Elves have a chance to detect a secret door just by casually looking at an area.

its also in the core under secret doors p414.its just not listed under their racial abilities for some reason.


Solrenevermead wrote:

actually elves still get it in pathfinder.

from the PFPRD.

"Secret Doors: Disguised as a bare patch of wall (or floor or ceiling), a bookcase, a fireplace, or a fountain, a secret door leads to a secret passage or room. Someone examining the area finds a secret door, if one exists, on a successful Perception check (DC 20 for a typical secret door to DC 30 for a well-hidden secret door). Elves have a chance to detect a secret door just by casually looking at an area.

its also in the core under secret doors p414.its just not listed under their racial abilities for some reason.

I hate hidden rules. Maybe I can go to the errata section so that goes back to where it belongs.


Ulfskar wrote:

Sorry, I'm using the PF rules :)

As noted in the AP, there are some rooms with multiple secret doors and traps. Should 1 search reveal all of the secret doors?

I really don't know. I have done it the other way for so long. I am to sleepy to make any rules interpretations, and trust them to be correct.

Community / Forums / Archive / Paizo / Books & Magazines / Dungeon Magazine / Shackled City Adventure Path / Secret Doors and Traps - Perception Checks All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Shackled City Adventure Path