Movement and percepetion

[djreynolds]

So if I walk my normal speed, which is 3 miles an hour, my passive perception score is 10... for 4 miles an hour our passive score is 5

But if I walk 2 miles an hour, the speed we normally stealth at, do we get a bonus to our passive perception score?

And I assume looking for danger is the same as looking for traps, or is there a difference there?

[Ninja_Prawn]

But if I walk 2 miles an hour, the speed we normally stealth at, do we get a bonus to our passive perception score?

Ask your DM. It's not unreasonable, if you're going slowly but not attempting stealth.


And I assume looking for danger is the same as looking for traps, or is there a difference there?

Are traps dangerous? The person at the front should be on the look-out for traps and ambushes; the person at the back should be checking to see if anyone's following you. Probably not much for the middle people to see; they could be navigating or foraging for food on the march.

[djreynolds]

See in 3.5, looking out for ambushes was listen and spot... basically perception, and search was for traps and secret doors.

Traps are dangerous.... but are secret doors

Kind of two separate parts of the brain working.
One is looking for a clues or traces that might mean traps.
And the other is trying to perceive around them sounds and movement.

This is my beef with perception, it is to inclusive of a skill. It combines too much. It is listen, spot, and search all in one

The rules talk about if you are navigating you cannot use passive perception or take a -5, but if you are actively searching for traps did you notice that shadow move 50ft up front

So if you slow your pace and are actively perceiving, should you get +5 bonus

[Ninja_Prawn]

See in 3.5, looking out for ambushes was listen and spot... basically perception, and search was for traps and secret doors.

This is my beef with perception, it is to inclusive of a skill. It combines too much. It is listen, spot, and search all in one

Having done some research on this, I have to agree that Perception should be split down. Maybe into Spot and Listen, or maybe something else.

But yeah, there's a difference between keeping a lookout for tripwires and pitfalls (Perception), and checking a chest to see if the lock is trapped (Investigation). When you're 'keeping your eyes open' travelling, you should be able to see both traps and ambushes (and environmental hazards); the whole point is that you're looking for anything that might be dangerous. Perhaps you could rule that you can look for either hazards or treasure but not both at the same time? Or you can't check both the ground and the sky at the same time?

[djreynolds]

For me perception has really grown. 5E is the best system so far.

What if passive perception wasn't a skill but actually a class feature that just improved as you leveled up and wasn't dependent on ability.

Certain classes would get perception as a class feature with incremental upgrades. Other classes could select a feat for it.

[Mandragola]

For me perception has really grown. 5E is the best system so far.

What if passive perception wasn't a skill but actually a class feature that just improved as you leveled up and wasn't dependent on ability.

Certain classes would get perception as a class feature with incremental upgrades. Other classes could select a feat for it.

I too like the 5th edition system. But I also like how they've made it considerably easier for people to have skills that they once couldn't have. It allows for players to customise their characters a bit more.

I see perception as your ability to notice stuff, and investigation as your ability to understand stuff. So you perceive the trip wire, then you investigate how to disarm or avoid it.

I do think it's a problem that it's linked to wisdom. It means that wisdom is a somewhat over-used stat, as it is used for the most important skill and for lots of save-or-suck spells. It means you end up with all these strangely perceptive clerics.

[djreynolds]

I see perception as your ability to notice stuff, and investigation as your ability to understand stuff. So you perceive the trip wire, then you investigate how to disarm or avoid it.

I do think it's a problem that it's linked to wisdom. It means that wisdom is a somewhat over-used stat, as it is used for the most important skill and for lots of save-or-suck spells. It means you end up with all these strangely perceptive clerics.

I like the you put this.

I'm not against anything, its just tough to make things competitive to good players. I want to challenge them... its what they like.

I try to use things like movement or tough terrain or unstable footing to hamper them. Often adding in something that makes them pick up the pace. The table is full of veterans who delight in destroying all my plans.