spot & listen

[Ettina]

What would be typical Spot and Listen checks for a level 12 who's invested in those skills? Would DCs of 29-33 be reasonably tough?

[Flickerdart]

Well, the bare minimum of investment would be 15 ranks. We can also assume at least a +2 ability score modifier for a character who cares about the skill since 14s are cheap and Wisdom is good anyway. A masterwork tool gives a +2 bonus for each, so we're looking at +19 after a half-hearted effort. DC29 is thus a 50% thing, and DC33 fails 75% of the time. For a character that actually focuses on these skills (with traits and feats that boost them, as well as items) you're looking at very rare failures.

[OldTrees1]

Continuing from Flickerdart
At 10th level(49Kgp) I would expect the minimum performance to also include +5 items(since they are a mere 2.5K gp) and an item of Wis+2(4K gp).

So that would be a +25 for someone making the minimum effort.

If those were the character's primary skills I would expect +7 items and +4 Wisdom along with at least one class feature/feat that have about +2. So around a +30.

If this were a one trick pony focused on spot/listen, I would expect them to have +Yes (+10 items, +4 Wisdom, Higher base wisdom, racial bonuses, 2 feats each, class features) so maybe +50.

[Jowgen]

A 12th level character who cares enough about those skills to get masterwork tools would also certainly have cash and reason to invest in some competence bonus items. The +5 varieties are rather standard and laughably cheap at that level, so I'd slap them ontop of Flickerdart's assessment. So base modifier 24. I like to assume the taking of 10, so 34 (give or take ability scores, feats and racial bonuses) is a reliably achievable score at that level for someone who cares.

EDIT: Ninja'd

[Flickerdart]

Is there a +5 Listen item that isn't custom? There's one for Spot, but I haven't seen a Listen one, and didn't want to recommend custom items as standard.

[OldTrees1]

Is there a +5 Listen item that isn't custom? There's one for Spot, but I haven't seen a Listen one, and didn't want to recommend custom items as standard.

I am fairly sure there is a printed +Listen item but I don't remember if it was 5 or 10 nor do I remember the source. Since I can't remember then I think it is safer to err on the side of it not existing.