How do you roll spot checks?

[Hiklin Kemaal]

Hi,

I am a new player.

How do you roll spot checks?

Many thanks.

[Claxon]

The GM calls for a spot check in reaction to something, unless I the player am specifically searching for something.

Can you be more specific?

[silverhair2008]

When Pathfinder was created there were some significant changes. One of the Skill changes was the combining of Search, Spot and Listen into one skill called Perception. Now instead of having to spend skill points in each of three skills and making three different skill rolls you now make one roll and have one place to put skill points.

[Wheldrake]

silverhair2008 wrote:

When Pathfinder was created there were some significant changes. One of the Skill changes was the combining of Search, Spot and Listen into one skill called Perception. Now instead of having to spend skill points in each of three skills and making three different skill rolls you now make one roll and have one place to put skill points.

So there are basically two schools of thought on this:

1) Active checks: When a player declares he's looking, searching, trying to spot something, he rolls d20 + his perception skill bonus vs a DC set by the DM. Some DM's require the roll be made secretly (either by the DM himself, or by the player tossing his die onto the mat, and the DM covering it with a handy cup or similar obstacle that he alone can peek under, but which preserves the notion of player agency in die rolling).

2) Passive checks: When the DM deciedes that players have the opportunity to notice something, they either call for perception checks from all PCs who can potentially spot something, or else he compares his fixed DC with a value equal to (10 + each player's perception bonus). This is called taking ten.

I like the "take ten" approach for passive checks, since it streamlines things. But players do like to roll dice, and it's a shame to deprive them of this.

[Ze'Rehan]

Wheldrake wrote:

silverhair2008 wrote:

When Pathfinder was created there were some significant changes. One of the Skill changes was the combining of Search, Spot and Listen into one skill called Perception. Now instead of having to spend skill points in each of three skills and making three different skill rolls you now make one roll and have one place to put skill points.

So there are basically two schools of thought on this:

1) Active checks: When a player declares he's looking, searching, trying to spot something, he rolls d20 + his perception skill bonus vs a DC set by the DM. Some DM's require the roll be made secretly (either by the DM himself, or by the player tossing his die onto the mat, and the DM covering it with a handy cup or similar obstacle that he alone can peek under, but which preserves the notion of player agency in die rolling).

2) Passive checks: When the DM deciedes that players have the opportunity to notice something, they either call for perception checks from all PCs who can potentially spot something, or else he compares his fixed DC with a value equal to (10 + each player's perception bonus). This is called taking ten.

I like the "take ten" approach for passive checks, since it streamlines things. But players do like to roll dice, and it's a shame to deprive them of this.

I, personally, favor taking 10 if in a situation where they have no reason to suspect anything. If they designate a lookout or if someone is scouting ahead or they know they are in hostile terrain, roll. But if casually strolling or just in town on downtime, etc. Take 10 in those cases.