Elves and Secret Doors.. how do you pull it off?

[magnusmalkus]

So we have an elf in the party. Elves are entitled to make a search check simply by passing within 5' of a secret door.

Outside of constantly keeping up with the elf's Search modifer, how do you pull off the interaction at the table without revealing to the PC's that there 'may be' a secret door about?

Do you tell the Elf to roll a search check, randomly throwing in search checks routinely, all game every game, to confuse the elf so it doesn't know what it's rolling for?

Or do you REALLY keep an accurate record of the Elf's Search check modifer and roll it for the Elf, only telling the Elf if it succeeded?

Wisdom please!

Thanks!

 

[Crothian]

One time I had a specific way I'd arrange my dice and the elf player knew that if I did that his character has detected a secret door. I would roll the search check myself but made sure there were checks I'd make in secret for each character so they wouldn't know what my check was or if it was a real check. It worked very well as the elf player kept the secret and the other players never realized there was secret communication going on between us.

 

[Celebrim]

So we have an elf in the party. Elves are entitled to make a search check simply by passing within 5' of a secret door.

Outside of constantly keeping up with the elf's Search modifer, how do you pull off the interaction at the table without revealing to the PC's that there 'may be' a secret door about?

Do you tell the Elf to roll a search check, randomly throwing in search checks routinely, all game every game, to confuse the elf so it doesn't know what it's rolling for?

Or do you REALLY keep an accurate record of the Elf's Search check modifer and roll it for the Elf, only telling the Elf if it succeeded?

Wisdom please!

Thanks!

I keep accurate track of all search, spot, and listen modifiers for the party on a legal pad next to my screen.

I often roll all search, spot, and listen checks for the party, whether passive or active. I sometimes call for spot checks when their is nothing to spot. I likewise make any passive saving thows for the character when it isn't obvious to the player that they need to make a save.

I inform the players of the results when it becomes appropriate.

Since I'm constantly tossing dice behind the screen either with or without a reason, the players find it difficult to metagame why I'm throwing dice and acting upon it.

 

[delericho]

So we have an elf in the party. Elves are entitled to make a search check simply by passing within 5' of a secret door.

Outside of constantly keeping up with the elf's Search modifer, how do you pull off the interaction at the table without revealing to the PC's that there 'may be' a secret door about?

I take a note of all characters' Listen and Spot checks (and would have done the same for elves' Search checks, except somehow I've completely missed that rule until tonight ). So, when the time comes, I can just roll for them.

The other option, of course, is to just ask them to roll, and trust the player not to act on player knowledge. It actually works better than you might think.

(Incidentally, in the 1st Ed DMG, Gygax actually asserts that the DM shouldn't volunteer that information - despite the elf being entitled to the roll, he should only get it if the player actually asks. A bit odd, but there it is.)

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Use their passive Search mod, as if they had taken 10 on their check. If they have some kind of special bonus (roll twice or what not) it only applies if they actively search for doors.

 

[MarkB]

Keep a record of all characters' Search / Spot / Listen modifiers, and make the check for the elf at the start of the session - that way, when they reach the room containing the secret door, you'll already know whether the elf will spot it.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Passive Search = 10 + Search Modifier. Note that #.

If that # exceeds the Search DC to find a door, elf finds it automagically because of elfy shenanigans.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I require the player to state "I elf the room." Then I roll.

Yes, we turned a race into a verb. Don't hate.

 

[NotZenon]

I require the player to state "I elf the room." Then I roll.

Yes, we turned a race into a verb. Don't hate.

haha, that is awesome.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

(Incidentally, in the 1st Ed DMG, Gygax actually asserts that the DM shouldn't volunteer that information - despite the elf being entitled to the roll, he should only get it if the player actually asks. A bit odd, but there it is.)

This sounded really strange for a moment, but then I remembered that dungeon exploration operated within a round structure back then, much like combat. (I think each dungeon-round was 10 minutes?) So if 1e had action types like modern D&D does, the elf's ability would probably read something like "An elf can search as a swift action."

Still useful on the player's side, and not so annoying to deal with on the DM's side.