How do you handle Searching?

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Mortavius
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How do you handle Searching?

Post by Mortavius »

I'm running a Pathfinder game right now, and I'm trying to decide how to handle when my PC's search a room.

My players always just say "We search the room" and they roll their Perception checks.

My problem is, I want some more interaction. I want the players themselves to think of where to search. I tried a variant rule, where I told my players they could specify where they search. If they say exactly where something is hidden, they will find it automatically, if not, they have to roll their checks. The problem is, they just started saying "We search X and X and X..." and just listed everything. So it basically went right back to "We search the room" just longer.

How do you folks handle it? I don't want to restrict my players, I just want to get them more involved in looking and thinking about where stuff might be hidden. So that the player feels good when they find something, not just because they rolled well.
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Re: How do you handle Searching?

Post by High Priest Mikhal »

I'm not sure of the Pathfinder rules, but penalties to such open terms isn't inappropriate. Or all they get are clues about where something of interest might be--if they detail where they search. No details on their part, no specifics on the DM's part, and potentially a dead end when they have no clue what to do next (or if you're feeling sadistic, upping the power of a major baddie because they failed to find that one clue that revealed a weakness). Specific details on their part is always worth a minor bonus, as is a very small XP bonus to boot. It's a matter of role-playing vs. roll-playing. For the latter they might as well play a video game for all the interactivity they're getting.
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Re: How do you handle Searching?

Post by order99 »

Still using AD&D 2nd Edition for Ravenloft and Masque so:

1 on 1D6 if hurriedly glancing at stuff, 1 or 2 if Elf, 1 or 2 if related to Stonework and PC is Dwarf.

1 or 2 on 1D6 if Players state 'We do a Search', 1-3 for Elf and/or Dwarf if appropriate.

If players declare a 'Thorough Search' Players and DM go into Narrative actions, and PCs find or do not find things based on what they do. DM gets to roll several possible Encounters in the meantime... :twisted:

I also do the same for Detect/Remove Traps-if the Thief/Rogue describes careful searches, feels gently for tripwires, plugs the dart holes etc, the trap is found/disarmed, and the percentage skill is for 'cursory glance' or 'in a hurry'.

If I were to switch to 3.0, 3.5 or 4.0 or Next (I might be missing an edition somewhere :mrgreen: ) i'd likely do a similar thing-PC 'Skills' in Search/Detect/Hear/Find etc by default and 'Player Skill' for careful, leisurely and detailed actions. Same thing with Convince/Bluff/Seduce etc-if the 'Player Skill' is absolutely hitting on all cylinders, then the Dullard can have a sudden brilliant insight, the tongue-tied may charm a maiden with a stammering yet heartfelt sentiment, and the timid may find a cause worth dying for, that puts steel in his threats for once...

Overcoming one's normal limitations once in awhile makes for Good Story, so I reward it-and Player creativity.
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Re: How do you handle Searching?

Post by Jester of the FoS »

Purposely searching takes a move action. Searching an entire five-foot by five-foot area should be far longer. And just scanning an entire 25-five square feet for some small feature with a glance should be a high DC.
So set the DC high or make it take a long time to take 20 (which is 1 minute per square at least) but reduce the DC if they specify where they're looking.
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