D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Listen Table PHB

[doktorstick]

A table in the PHB for Listen reads:

[color=white]Listen DC Modifier	Condition
+5                      Through a door
+15                     Through a stone wall
–1                      Per 10 feet of distance
–5                      Listener distracted[/color]

The -1/-5 rows don't make sense to me. Shouldn't the task be getting harder, not easier with those conditions. Am I missing something?

/ds

 

[Wanderlust]

You, sir, made the mistake of thinking that things make sense.

 

[iwatt]

A table in the PHB for Listen reads:

[color=white]Listen DC Modifier	Condition
+5                      Through a door
+15                     Through a stone wall
–1                      Per 10 feet of distance
–5                      Listener distracted[/color]

The -1/-5 rows don't make sense to me. Shouldn't the task be getting harder, not easier with those conditions. Am I missing something?

/ds

the +5/+15 refer to the DC. The -1/-5 refer to condition modifiers. As usual, WOTC has enabled to confuse quite a simple issue.

the +5/+15 DC modifiers should be converted to -5/-15 conditional modifiers, since generally Listen is opposed to move silently.

For example, trying to hear a Rogue sneaking 20' away through a door: you take a -7 check penalty to Listen.

To listen through a stone wall for people talking (DC 0) 50' away , you take a -20 tp your check. This is the same as saying you take a -5 penalty against a DC 15 (0 + 15) listen check.