Handling Spot checks in your game

[bighara]

Different folks play this differently, I know. But I was curious how most people here handled this.

When someone is charging into combat, do you usually allow a Spot check to notice a trap or similar? Do you normally apply things like darkness modifiers to Spot checks, or just use a flat DC?

[Jengenritz]

Something similar came up in Palace in the Wastes , the 2006 tournament mod. There is a hazard that one can notice with a Survival check, but not if they are running or charging.

That's pretty much how I would handle it. An exception would be if the trap was fairly large or obvious, I suppose, but given the example of charging I'd say you're pretty fixated on the bad guy you're about to smack in the head.

As far as darkness mods to Spot checks, I try to account for as many modifiers as I can remember when handing out DCs to tasks, and I'm a huge fan of the blanket +/- 2 for favorable/unfavorable conditions...I find that covers quite a few gaps in the rules.

[Argamae]

No, I would not normally allow Spot checks when someone is charging into combat.

I do allow Spot checks to notice traps if the PCs advance at a reasonable pace and stating that they are alert and keeping a lookout for potential trouble. But even then most traps are cleverly concealed because else there wouldn't be a point in creating them in the first place. So only the largest or more obvious traps would be spotted with that check anyway.

The exception, of course, being a rogue or character with the Trapfinding feat. But they would have to actively Search for traps. A simple Spot check wouldn't do (although I'd give them credit if they roleplayed their actions well).

Generally I use lots of modifiers to Spot checks and the like. Every situation is different. And I usually do the Spot check rolling myself (having the necessary player stats in front of me while mastering), so they never know whether they have failed or there simply wasn't anything to be spotted.

[Scottenkainen]

Allowing a skill check to avoid the trap would be redundant if there was already a saving throw allowed. If the character makes the save, he must have noticed the trap and avoided it!

~Scott "-enkainen" Casper

[ChristinaStiles]

I wouldn't allow a Spot check if the character was charging. In such instances, his attention is on getting to the fight, not watching where he's going.