So when the characters are in the room where this treasure is found and only one of the characters starts looking around (In my game sessions historically this is usually how it goes and of course it is the rogue.)
Should this run:
1) Only allow the character one roll and then randomly determine which scroll or book is found
2) Allow the player to make multiple Perception checks to see if they find each item.
I don't allow multiple perception checks by the same character in the same place. I don't even allow everyone in the party to check the same thing. If they want to check something as a group, character A "helms" the check, and one or more characters "help," which provides advantage. They get ONE check of a specific place. If they bomb, they miss the items.
The only way I would allow multiple checks is if there are different places to look. If one spell scroll is in a collapsed book case, and the tome is in a collapsed desk, and another scroll is under the couch cushions, then OK... a search of the couch reveals the one, a search of the desk another, and so on.
But if you just lump the pile of junk in the room into a single entity called "wreckage" and there are 3 things in there, in my game, they get 1 roll (with advantage if they want) and they either find it all, or none of it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
The only way I would allow multiple checks is if there are different places to look. If one spell scroll is in a collapsed book case, and the tome is in a collapsed desk, and another scroll is under the couch cushions, then OK... a search of the couch reveals the one, a search of the desk another, and so on.
Quick question on this one, would you even necessarily make them roll? I feel like if they stated the specific place they were looking, and an item is there, I would not make them make a check unless the item was somehow hidden. So for example "I search under the couch cushion" probably finds whatever is there, whereas "I search the top drawer" does not find the secret compartment in the drawer but would probably lower the DC of finding it compared to "I search the room."
1) If the character says they are searching then I would usually start with their passive perception and if it is high enough then I'd just narrate finding the items. Personally, as a DM, I don't object to the party finding treasure (why should I) and if they perform the action required and have the skills then I don't see any reason to roll dice.
2) If the items aren't really hidden (essentially just buried under other stuff) then I might even just give the items to the characters if they do a thorough search without checking perception. It depends on the action taken and the circumstances hiding the items involved.
3) If the character is searching but their passive perception isn't high enough then I'd have them roll the die to see how much they notice. The description you provided has the author specifically state "separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks" .. so the author was intending that each item be rolled for separately. This would appear to be asking the character searching to make three rolls and reveal items found only on the successful ones and you can certainly run it that way.
You could also resolve this by having several characters roll separately and give each a different item if successful or you could combine everything into a staged DC. DC12 to find any one, DC17 for any two selected randomly and DC20 to find all three - or whatever numbers you like. Give the characters advantage on the roll if more than one of them search.
I did a similar thing in Dragons of Icespire Peak which I am running now. There is a room in a dungeon with 5 secret doors. The players made perception checks (could have used investigation I guess) and I added the total they rolled to determine how many doors they found, the higher they rolled the more doors they found. I made a roll to randomly determine which ones they found.
If it's obvious no, they probably won't have to roll. I don't do investigation checks to find stuff on a dead guys' body, unless the dead guy hid it on himself before he died.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Question regarding how to run the following Treasure find from Sunless Citadel.
So when the characters are in the room where this treasure is found and only one of the characters starts looking around (In my game sessions historically this is usually how it goes and of course it is the rogue.)
Should this run:
1) Only allow the character one roll and then randomly determine which scroll or book is found
2) Allow the player to make multiple Perception checks to see if they find each item.
3) Other, with a better suggestion.
I don't allow multiple perception checks by the same character in the same place. I don't even allow everyone in the party to check the same thing. If they want to check something as a group, character A "helms" the check, and one or more characters "help," which provides advantage. They get ONE check of a specific place. If they bomb, they miss the items.
The only way I would allow multiple checks is if there are different places to look. If one spell scroll is in a collapsed book case, and the tome is in a collapsed desk, and another scroll is under the couch cushions, then OK... a search of the couch reveals the one, a search of the desk another, and so on.
But if you just lump the pile of junk in the room into a single entity called "wreckage" and there are 3 things in there, in my game, they get 1 roll (with advantage if they want) and they either find it all, or none of it.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Quick question on this one, would you even necessarily make them roll? I feel like if they stated the specific place they were looking, and an item is there, I would not make them make a check unless the item was somehow hidden. So for example "I search under the couch cushion" probably finds whatever is there, whereas "I search the top drawer" does not find the secret compartment in the drawer but would probably lower the DC of finding it compared to "I search the room."
There are a few possible ways to do this.
1) If the character says they are searching then I would usually start with their passive perception and if it is high enough then I'd just narrate finding the items. Personally, as a DM, I don't object to the party finding treasure (why should I) and if they perform the action required and have the skills then I don't see any reason to roll dice.
2) If the items aren't really hidden (essentially just buried under other stuff) then I might even just give the items to the characters if they do a thorough search without checking perception. It depends on the action taken and the circumstances hiding the items involved.
3) If the character is searching but their passive perception isn't high enough then I'd have them roll the die to see how much they notice. The description you provided has the author specifically state "separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks" .. so the author was intending that each item be rolled for separately. This would appear to be asking the character searching to make three rolls and reveal items found only on the successful ones and you can certainly run it that way.
You could also resolve this by having several characters roll separately and give each a different item if successful or you could combine everything into a staged DC. DC12 to find any one, DC17 for any two selected randomly and DC20 to find all three - or whatever numbers you like. Give the characters advantage on the roll if more than one of them search.
I did a similar thing in Dragons of Icespire Peak which I am running now. There is a room in a dungeon with 5 secret doors. The players made perception checks (could have used investigation I guess) and I added the total they rolled to determine how many doors they found, the higher they rolled the more doors they found. I made a roll to randomly determine which ones they found.
If it's obvious no, they probably won't have to roll. I don't do investigation checks to find stuff on a dead guys' body, unless the dead guy hid it on himself before he died.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.