Searching

[Steel Forged Games]

So I have a rogue in my gaming group that just takes 20 everytime he enters a room to look for traps. How do you as GM's handle this? Do you just have monsters rush them while he is taking his 2 min. to search? This has mainly been an issue for the Thornkeep dungeon. Like the Forgotten Laboratory, the hall with the traps. When he saw no baddies he just took 20 to look the room over and found the traps. They kill the room and he takes 20 on it looking for stuff.

Just seems silly but I am curious how other GMs handle this.

-SFG

[The Fox]

I encourage my players to take 20.

[Steel Forged Games]

Really? hmmm that works. It just seems if you are storming the castle that you would want to make haste not go forward unbidden.

[The Fox]

When there are time constraints, then there are consequences to taking 20, sure. But for most dungeon delves, the PCs are not really pressed for time.

If this is an issue mainly in Thornkeep, then I guess I can't speak to that because I have not run that adventure yet. But, in general, I don't care if the PCs are taking their time and are being cautious.

Keep in mind that finding the traps is only half the challenge. Disarming them does not allow for taking 20.

[nosig]

a couple more things to remember...

Perception is normally a move action - so taking 20 on it would really only be 1 minute. (you can do it 20 times in 1 minute, and twice in one round.)

Also, remember the -1 per 10 foot distance modifier... if the room is 30 foot wide and he has a 30 from the doorway he either has something liek a 26, 27 or 28 for across the room.

I'll also give at least a -5 for things out of sight (can he spell the undead - feel the breeze from the secret door/ hear the invisible rogue/ etc?), sometimes as much as -20 (or more maybe) for effective invisibility.

[nosig]

nosig wrote:

a couple more things to remember...

Perception is normally a move action - so taking 20 on it would really only be 1 minute. (you can do it 20 times in 1 minute, and twice in one round.)

Also, remember the -1 per 10 foot distance modifier... if the room is 30 foot wide and he has a 30 from the doorway he either has something liek a 26, 27 or 28 for across the room.

I'll also give at least a -5 for things out of sight (can he spell the undead - feel the breeze from the secret door/ hear the invisible rogue/ etc?), sometimes as much as -20 (or more maybe) for effective invisibility.

wow... "can he spell the undead" should have been "can he smell the undead"

[Steel Forged Games]

@Fox good points there.

@Nosig I did not remember the -1 rule.

I guess in the end it is not a huge deal. It just seemed kind of silly to stop at the front door take 20, then go 10 feet and take 20 again. All the while the castle or dungeon not really caring that you are trouncing around.

Thanks for the advice.

[Sir_Wulf]

When someone is thoroughly searching an area, I don't tell them "you find a trap". I instead tell them "You find a loose flagstone: You're pretty sure it covers some sort of trigger mechanism. There are several small holes hidden in cracks on the ceiling." The player's response then determines what information he gets next. By detailing the attempt to disarm the trap, I add some tension and make the scene more cinematic.

[Mash]

nosig wrote:

nosig wrote:

a couple more things to remember...

Perception is normally a move action - so taking 20 on it would really only be 1 minute. (you can do it 20 times in 1 minute, and twice in one round.)

Also, remember the -1 per 10 foot distance modifier... if the room is 30 foot wide and he has a 30 from the doorway he either has something liek a 26, 27 or 28 for across the room.

I'll also give at least a -5 for things out of sight (can he spell the undead - feel the breeze from the secret door/ hear the invisible rogue/ etc?), sometimes as much as -20 (or more maybe) for effective invisibility.

wow... "can he spell the undead" should have been "can he smell the undead"

If it gool or gast, then me sure he smell it. They smell bad. Me kill them just ta get rid of smell.

[Steel Forged Games]

@James that is some pretty good stuff there. Must mull this over.