I find it baffling that “Perception” is so important, it has it’s it’s own box on the character sheet. It comes up often while playing the game. Yet, I have yet to be able to figure out how to calculate it. I have found several debates over how to calculate it. One person even suggested looking on page 59 of the basic rules. But, since I don’t have the basic rules in print that doesn’t help. I’m not sure why putting Perception in the search box doesn’t return the instructions for calculating it as the first result. I hope I can find the answer some time this afternoon because the kids and I would like to continue playing.
It sounds like you might be talking about Passive Perception. If that's the case then I suggest you look here and read about how to calculate passive scores. Passive Checks - Basic Rules. Essentially you calculate them as 10 + your skill modifier as listed in the skills section of your character sheet.
If you're not talking about passive scores, then calculating perception is a little more complicated. Perception or any other skill are typically associated with a specific stat, Wisdom for perception, Intelligence for investigation, Charisma for persuasion, etc. To determine your modifiers for a specific skill you take the associated stat's modifier, and add your proficiency bonus if your character is proficient in that skill. So for instance a 1st level character with a Wisdom score of 14 and proficiency in the perception skill would have a perception modifier of +4, 2 from their Wisdom modifier and 2 from being proficient in the perception skill.
Skills - Basic Rules Here are the skills and the normal stats associated with them, DMs may at times call for skills using a different ability modifier, such as a Strength based intimidation check, in which case you would calculate the skill bonus as your Strength modifier instead of Charisma and your proficiency bonus if applicable.
The basic rules are available on this site (the left-most column under the Sources section of the main menu). Unfortunately, there's no page numbers, but the section on skills is here in chapter 7. If you're using the character sheets here, there's nothing to calculate, it's done for you. But the basic, most frequent version of a perception check, and the one that's auto-calculated here is one based on your wisdom.
Say your wisdom is 15. That gives you a wisdom modifier of +2. You can add that wisdom modifier to any wisdom-based ability or skill check. If your character is proficient or has expertise (double proficiency), then you also add your proficiency bonus (or twice your proficiency bonus, for expertise). So a level 6 character has a proficiency bonus of +3. That means if they're proficient in perception, they would also add +3, here meaning they'd add +5. The 'skills' section of the character sheet is where you should be filling all those in as you create the character, so it should be all filled out with the number you're going to add to your d20 roll.
The passive perception box all on its own is a little different -- that's for when the character isn't going to roll. There's a lot of debate out there about this one. It uses the same method as above, but then instead of rolling a d20, adds 10, as sort of an average. If you're playing with kids, then probably the best way to do it is to treat it as a minimum -- what your senses take in passively with a default glance around the area. So if someone is hiding, and they only get a 12 on their stealth roll, the guard whose job it is to be watching out for sketchy people, and has a passive perception of 14, can see them just because they know what to look for. It can get more complicated than that, but that's a good basic way to use that score. It's not for active searching/looking for something specific, so it's still fine to have players roll perception. You can also ignore it entirely if you think it'll make things more confusing.
I searched perception and this was the top result. It is conveniently the same chapter that talks about how to calculate skills and passive checks. So the answers to your questions can be found in the chapter that is the top result of the search you said you did.
I find it baffling that “Perception” is so important, it has it’s it’s own box on the character sheet. It comes up often while playing the game. Yet, I have yet to be able to figure out how to calculate it. I have found several debates over how to calculate it. One person even suggested looking on page 59 of the basic rules. But, since I don’t have the basic rules in print that doesn’t help. I’m not sure why putting Perception in the search box doesn’t return the instructions for calculating it as the first result. I hope I can find the answer some time this afternoon because the kids and I would like to continue playing.
It sounds like you might be talking about Passive Perception. If that's the case then I suggest you look here and read about how to calculate passive scores. Passive Checks - Basic Rules. Essentially you calculate them as 10 + your skill modifier as listed in the skills section of your character sheet.
If you're not talking about passive scores, then calculating perception is a little more complicated. Perception or any other skill are typically associated with a specific stat, Wisdom for perception, Intelligence for investigation, Charisma for persuasion, etc. To determine your modifiers for a specific skill you take the associated stat's modifier, and add your proficiency bonus if your character is proficient in that skill. So for instance a 1st level character with a Wisdom score of 14 and proficiency in the perception skill would have a perception modifier of +4, 2 from their Wisdom modifier and 2 from being proficient in the perception skill.
Skills - Basic Rules Here are the skills and the normal stats associated with them, DMs may at times call for skills using a different ability modifier, such as a Strength based intimidation check, in which case you would calculate the skill bonus as your Strength modifier instead of Charisma and your proficiency bonus if applicable.
Check out my latest homebrew: Mystic Knight (Fighter) v1.31
The basic rules are available on this site (the left-most column under the Sources section of the main menu). Unfortunately, there's no page numbers, but the section on skills is here in chapter 7. If you're using the character sheets here, there's nothing to calculate, it's done for you. But the basic, most frequent version of a perception check, and the one that's auto-calculated here is one based on your wisdom.
Say your wisdom is 15. That gives you a wisdom modifier of +2. You can add that wisdom modifier to any wisdom-based ability or skill check. If your character is proficient or has expertise (double proficiency), then you also add your proficiency bonus (or twice your proficiency bonus, for expertise). So a level 6 character has a proficiency bonus of +3. That means if they're proficient in perception, they would also add +3, here meaning they'd add +5. The 'skills' section of the character sheet is where you should be filling all those in as you create the character, so it should be all filled out with the number you're going to add to your d20 roll.
The passive perception box all on its own is a little different -- that's for when the character isn't going to roll. There's a lot of debate out there about this one. It uses the same method as above, but then instead of rolling a d20, adds 10, as sort of an average. If you're playing with kids, then probably the best way to do it is to treat it as a minimum -- what your senses take in passively with a default glance around the area. So if someone is hiding, and they only get a 12 on their stealth roll, the guard whose job it is to be watching out for sketchy people, and has a passive perception of 14, can see them just because they know what to look for. It can get more complicated than that, but that's a good basic way to use that score. It's not for active searching/looking for something specific, so it's still fine to have players roll perception. You can also ignore it entirely if you think it'll make things more confusing.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
I searched perception and this was the top result. It is conveniently the same chapter that talks about how to calculate skills and passive checks. So the answers to your questions can be found in the chapter that is the top result of the search you said you did.
Never mind, finally figured it out.