Another question (spotting searching)

Stilgar · #1 (**permalink**) 10-21-2004, 02:30 AM

First thanks everyone for awnsering my previous questions.

As some of you know (or know now) a couple of friends and me started playing D&D 2weeks ago, and i've been elected to DM the first couple of games. But non of us have any real D&D experience, except me, i have some NWN experience (better then nothing). So a big change some more questions will pop up.

For now i have a question about spotting/searching.
When Malkey the rogue (a very smart lvl2 rogue) enters a 25x25ft room, with nothing in it, except:
- some rubble on the floor, and in 1 of these piles of rubble is a key hidden that they could use in a later lvl of the magetower they are currently in.
- a trap.
- a lever in plain sight.

What does he need to do to find al 3 of these things?

Rob-hin · #2 (**permalink**) 10-21-2004, 02:49 AM

He needs to do a search check for the key. The DC (difficulty class) depends on how well it is hidden. It could be so well hidden, that the characters need to take 20 (search for 10 minutes and automatically roll a 20). Easily found is about DC 15, hard is DC 20 and very hard is DC 25. (etc)

So, as they enter the room, they see the obvious. They see that there is a bunch of rubble on the floor and they see the lever sticking out of the wall.

They don't get a spot check for the trap or the key, they'll need to search for it.

They need to do a search check for the key and the trap. If the trap is magical then only the rogue can find it.

Just to add:
Spot is for spotting things that you can see, but is hidden, this skill is used PASSIVE. Search is what you use when you ACTIVE look for something. "I search the room for something".

Elves get a free spot check when they walk withing 5 feet of a secret door.

Stilgar · #3 (**permalink**) 10-21-2004, 03:25 AM

Thanks for the quick reply, Malkey the rogue will be pleased that he found everything of importance in this room.

The Great Hairy · #4 (**permalink**) 10-21-2004, 07:30 PM

Aye, I'd agree 100% with Rob-hin on this one. Although note that Spot comes off the Wisdom stat, not the Intelligence stat, so it doesn't matter how smart Malkey is, but how aware of his surroundings he is!

Cheers,
TGHO

Stilgar · #5 (**permalink**) 10-22-2004, 01:59 AM

I'vee seen him roll his stats, ok hes not so wise as that dwarfen cleric that they are going to meet soon, but his lowest stat was 13

Rob-hin · #6 (**permalink**) 10-22-2004, 06:36 AM

Wow, good rolls.

It's naturall that a cleric has a highter wisdome then a rogue. A rogue depends more of intelligence for skill points.