Questions Players should ask in a dungeon

[Admin Pete]

Questions that your players should be asking in a dungeon crawl, but typically don't. List your favorites.

[finarvyn]

A tough question, as there are many things they "should" do routinely but eat up time.
* checking for traps
* listening at doors
* checking for hidden doors
etc,

The problem is that if they make a list and read it each time it gets dull but if they don't ever bother then they get caught in situations where they ought to know better.

Reminds me a little of that scene near the end of The Gamers where the guy gets caught in a trap and comments about how it's not fair because he's always on the lookout for traps so he demanded a do-over dice roll.

[Admin Pete]

I know exactly what you mean. And no one wants it to be dull. I try to encourage players to establish a routine and let me know what it is and more importantly when and where it applies as well as when it does not. Then I in the cases where it does not normally apply or if there is some doubt as to whether or not it applies, I say, "Is there anything else you are doing?" Then it is up to the players to remember what that means.

[finarvyn]

I've thought about stealing the idea about "passive perception" from 5E (and probably from other rules sets as well) where a GM might simply rule that a character might notice something odd without having to make a roll. Perhaps the floor looks strange somehow, or a section of wall....

[monk]

Aug 29, 2015 8:07:31 GMT -5 finarvyn said:

I've thought about stealing the idea about "passive perception" from 5E (and probably from other rules sets as well) where a GM might simply rule that a character might notice something odd without having to make a roll. Perhaps the floor looks strange somehow, or a section of wall....

That's how I've been using thieves in my campaign.  I've tried to really emphasize the "burglar" archetype over the "assassin/ninja" people sometimes mistake them for.  As burglars, with a rising ability to passively pick up on fishy sections of floor/walls/etc., the class becomes one that the other players seek out to help with a dungeon expedition and don't mind protecting in combat.

[monk]

To clarify, I'll describe a room and then say to the thief, "Something seems out of place here...". He has to ask questions and examine specific places (which eats up time and allows for wandering monster rolls) if he wants to discover the trap. Once he does, he can say how he's going to avoid it or I roll to see if he can disarm, whichever's appropriate.

[bestialwarlust]

Aug 30, 2015 15:03:38 GMT -5 monk said:

To clarify, I'll describe a room and then say to the thief, "Something seems out of place here...". He has to ask questions and examine specific places (which eats up time and allows for wandering monster rolls) if he wants to discover the trap. Once he does, he can say how he's going to avoid it or I roll to see if he can disarm, whichever's appropriate.

I tend to do the same as thief abilities are supposed to be beyond other classes normal abilities. I'll engineer traps that might be detectable from the outside. For example:

A chest that has no trap mechanisms in the lock, or hinges, stone dropping from a pressure plate, etc.. But instead the trap has delicate glass vials inside filled with a liquid that break when the lid is opened. Anyone can check it and to the normal adventurer it appears safe. But a thief will have his "spidey" sense go off. I'll tell the player you know it's trapped and opening it will trigger it. 

No other class would get this type of warning.