Burning Forum
Dungeonslayers => Allgemein => English => Thema gestartet von: MH+ am 15. Januar 2014, 19:36:06
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I usually get sick of the perception overuse in pnp sessions. I found a decent article that hit the nail in my opinion (and gives surprisingly decent alternatives or hints of how to fix the problem): http://expertisedice.com/#perception_problem
Njoy.
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Perception checks are usually silly. As a GM you usually WANT the players to find the hidden thing, anyway.
They do give players a sense of accomplishment sometimes.
Trap detection, different story!
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Since Perception checks in DS use Intelligence, aren't they basically already Knowledge checks here (or at least common sense checks)?
Still, there is the Perception talent. Disposing of it could be an interesting option to make other talents more interesting (and giving scouts more much needed talent slots...). Noticing an approaching sneaking opponent could be rolled with Stealth as a bonus, finding traps or secret doors could benefit from Craft talents, with spotting something far away even Marksman or Sharpshooter might help.
Yes, I think that is something to consider...
Perception checks are usually silly. As a GM you usually WANT the players to find the hidden thing, anyway.
Yes, it takes a bit of skill and discipline to keep a session going with crucial perception checks failed. I think a GM should consider the pivotal points of his adventure, not rely on the players to notice certain things and have the question answered for himself: "What happens, if the players do not find this important clue?"
Another option I try to use as far as I can is letting perception checks not only be a matter of Yes or No, but also about quality, and I also try to consider how well a perception check succeeded. This can range from "There is something off, to the left from you" to exact details like "You notice a narrow fissure in the wall, which obviously hides a blade. Below, you see a row of tiles which are slightly different from the other floor tiles and are probably trigger plates."
Depending on that, the findings may require further investigation, which results in clues depending on how exactly the players conduct their further search.
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A perception check should be used only to determine if a PC notices something in time to give them an edge in the situation at hand. That is, a perception check should never be used to find out IF the PC notices something, but instead to find out WHEN he does.
It would be nice to notice the bandits' ambush before an arrow bounces off your helmet. But if you don't, the adventure keeps going.
Another possibility would be to demand perception checks for information exceeding the bare minimum necessary to solve the adventure - that is, perception checks give additional hints, making a riddle easier to solve, but even failing all perception checks, there's still enough information for the players to puzzle it out, only it will take them more time.
That way, perception is still relevant, but it is not able to ruin the game with a single die roll.