Nickademus
February 19th, 2018, 19:36
I made this for my players, but I wanted to share it here as well in case it might help anyone.
Observations and Interactions
The purpose of this article is to provide in greater detail the ways in which a character in a 5E game interacts with the environment, including several topics that aren’t fully explained in the PHB. The contents of this article comes from a mix of information presented in the PHB, DMG, Xanathar’s, Sage Advice article and the Sage Advice podcast sections. A few of my own house rules are included, and noted as such to keep them separate from what could be considered official rules.
Active Skill Use
The main way of observing and interacting with the environment is through the use of ability checks, usually with a bonus from proficiency with a skill or set of tools. There are two methods of using ability checks, actively using an ability check and relying on a passive check.
When you actively use a skill or tool, you tell the DM that you want to make a check to attempt to gain some information about the thing you are observing. There are several skills and tools that can be used for observations, but mostly a character uses the Investigation, Perception, Arcana, and Insight skills.
Investigation
The Investigation skill is based on Intelligence and is used to search an object or area for something in particular. When you investigate, you have an idea of what you are looking for and use your knowledge of what you should expect to find to aid in your search, hence why the skill is an Intelligence check. Some examples of active Investigation checks are searching a chest for a false bottom, searching a bookshelf for a specific title, and searching a lock for a trap.
Touching Things
It is assumed that you touch any object or area you are actively searching. This is because the Investigation skill assumes a thorough examination is being done. In some cases, this touching can cause other things to happen, such as curses, and magical traps.
To examine an object or area without touching, you need to state that you wish to ‘Investigate without touching’. Doing so might increase the DC to find what you are looking for or impose disadvantage on the roll, though more than likely you simply will be unable to find certain information without touching. For instance, an expensive painting is mounted on a wall. The frame has a trip wire around the frame that triggers a trap if the painting is removed. The wire isn’t visible as it sits between the frame and the wall. A normal Investigation to search for traps grants the opportunity for the character to feel along the frame and notice the wire, whereas an Investigation without touching would not discover this information no matter how high the roll.
Perception
The Perception skill is based on Wisdom and is used to rely on instinct and intuition to get a feeling when something perceived through one or more of the character’s five senses seems important or out of place. This skill is used when you don’t know exactly what you are looking for but just want to notice anything worth noticing. Some examples of active Perception checks are searching a wall for anything out of the ordinary (traps, a secret door, secret compartments, etc.), scanning a crowd to notice any threats, and searching a body for anything of interest.
There is a fine line between what is investigation and what is perception. They both cover largely the same actions. It is the method and intent that differs, and thus the important distinction is if the character is knows specifically what they are looking for.
Secret Doors and Traps
A good example of the difference, and the symbiosis, of these skills is the act of searching for traps, secret doors, or secret compartments. For example, a character comes to a corridor leading to a door. Feeling the corridor is suspicious, the character decides to search for traps. Since the character doesn’t know if the potential trap is a pit trap, dart trap, scything blade trap, collapsing ceiling, or so on, the character makes a Perception check to just look around for anything out of place. (The character rolls poorly and find nothing.)
Feeling the corridor is safe, the character heads down to the door. Upon seeing the door is locked, the character gets suspicious again and decides to search the lock for traps. Since the character knows what it is looking for, any parts in the lock that have nothing to do with the keyhole and tumblers, the character makes an Investigation check. (The character rolls high and notices the poison needle trap.)
After triggering the poison needle with a dagger and picking the lock with tools, the character opens to door to find nothing but a stone wall beyond; the door was a fake. There must be another way to progress, so the character searches the wall again, specifically for a secret door. This time, since the character knows what it is looking for, it makes an Investigation check. (Rolling better, the character notices the outline of a door in the wall.)
Now knowing there is a secret door, it is a matter of finding the means to open the door. This could go two ways. If the character chooses to just search the wall for anything that might cause a reaction, a Perception check would be made. If the character specifically states that it is searching the wall for a spot that could be pushed like a button, an Investigation check would be made. The main difference is that Investigation DC’s tend to be lower, but if the secret door is opened by a different means, the Investigation check might not find it. So there are pros and cons to both relying on Perception and using Investigation.
Touching Things
As with Investigation, it is assumed that you touch any object or area you are actively searching. This is because the Perception skill involves all five senses and the tactile sense (sense of touch) is one of the ways you can perceive something. Again, this touching can cause other things to happen, such as curses, and magical traps.
Just as with Investigation, you can examine an object or area without touching anything by stating that you wish to ‘Perception without touching’ (ignoring the bad grammar). This may prevent you from noticing certain things, especially if the information is based on temperature or texture.
Opening Things
Even though you are assumed to be touching things in the area you are searching, it is not assumed that you interact with any objects, such as furniture, while searching unless you state that you are. For instance when you search a chest, it is not assumed that you open the chest and search the inside for wire or hidden compartments. In fact, determining if it is safe to open the chest may be precisely why you are searching in the first place.
Thus, to include the interiors of objects or places that aren’t immediately accessible in your search, you must state you are opening any impediments that block you. For example, a character wants to search a jail cell block for clues. Since the doors are all closed, the character must state that it is using the jailor’s keys to open each cell while conducting the search.
Arcana
While not used as much as Perception or Investigation, the Arcana skill is also used to observe the environment. The Arcana skill is based on Intelligence and uses knowledge of arcane topics, such as magical energies, planes of existence, and advanced mathematics, to gain a better understanding of something you are interacting with.
Magic in 5E isn’t a hidden thing; it is usually quite noticeable, from glowing runes, to a tingle in the air, to a sense of dread. There are many things, tangible and intangible, that accompany magic and can be used to get an understanding (or at least a hint) of what to expect from the magic.
One of the uses of the Arcana skill that isn’t well know is that it is used to find and disarm magical traps. You don’t use tools for these kinds of traps. Now some magical traps might still use Perception or Investigation to notice, but many of the magical traps have some sort of emanation of energy or effect on the nearby environment that someone not knowledgeable about arcana wouldn’t think of as important. This allows a character to make an Arcana check to identify strange feelings or occurrences as indications of a magical trap.
The Arcana skill is also used to directly disable most magical trap, in addition to the dispel magic spell, though the specifics of how this generically works aren’t detailed in the rules. The idea is that each magical trap might be designed with a way to short circuit and diffuse the magic energies by taking some action combined with an Arcana check. Some DM’s may wish to detail this for each trap, while others may wish to simply leave it as ‘you make a check and the magical trap ceases to function’.
** House Rule: Arcana Proficiency **
In my games, I find the Arcana skill to cover a large amount of technical information that it is unreasonable to assume that anyone could have come across in their lifetime. Thus for any Arcana check dealing with a subject more complicated than simple mathematics, proficiency in the Arcana skill is required to be able to make the Intelligence (Arcana) check. This applies for magical traps as well: only those with proficiency in the Arcana skill have the in-depth understanding of how magical auras work to figure out how to disrupt them.
Observations and Interactions
The purpose of this article is to provide in greater detail the ways in which a character in a 5E game interacts with the environment, including several topics that aren’t fully explained in the PHB. The contents of this article comes from a mix of information presented in the PHB, DMG, Xanathar’s, Sage Advice article and the Sage Advice podcast sections. A few of my own house rules are included, and noted as such to keep them separate from what could be considered official rules.
Active Skill Use
The main way of observing and interacting with the environment is through the use of ability checks, usually with a bonus from proficiency with a skill or set of tools. There are two methods of using ability checks, actively using an ability check and relying on a passive check.
When you actively use a skill or tool, you tell the DM that you want to make a check to attempt to gain some information about the thing you are observing. There are several skills and tools that can be used for observations, but mostly a character uses the Investigation, Perception, Arcana, and Insight skills.
Investigation
The Investigation skill is based on Intelligence and is used to search an object or area for something in particular. When you investigate, you have an idea of what you are looking for and use your knowledge of what you should expect to find to aid in your search, hence why the skill is an Intelligence check. Some examples of active Investigation checks are searching a chest for a false bottom, searching a bookshelf for a specific title, and searching a lock for a trap.
Touching Things
It is assumed that you touch any object or area you are actively searching. This is because the Investigation skill assumes a thorough examination is being done. In some cases, this touching can cause other things to happen, such as curses, and magical traps.
To examine an object or area without touching, you need to state that you wish to ‘Investigate without touching’. Doing so might increase the DC to find what you are looking for or impose disadvantage on the roll, though more than likely you simply will be unable to find certain information without touching. For instance, an expensive painting is mounted on a wall. The frame has a trip wire around the frame that triggers a trap if the painting is removed. The wire isn’t visible as it sits between the frame and the wall. A normal Investigation to search for traps grants the opportunity for the character to feel along the frame and notice the wire, whereas an Investigation without touching would not discover this information no matter how high the roll.
Perception
The Perception skill is based on Wisdom and is used to rely on instinct and intuition to get a feeling when something perceived through one or more of the character’s five senses seems important or out of place. This skill is used when you don’t know exactly what you are looking for but just want to notice anything worth noticing. Some examples of active Perception checks are searching a wall for anything out of the ordinary (traps, a secret door, secret compartments, etc.), scanning a crowd to notice any threats, and searching a body for anything of interest.
There is a fine line between what is investigation and what is perception. They both cover largely the same actions. It is the method and intent that differs, and thus the important distinction is if the character is knows specifically what they are looking for.
Secret Doors and Traps
A good example of the difference, and the symbiosis, of these skills is the act of searching for traps, secret doors, or secret compartments. For example, a character comes to a corridor leading to a door. Feeling the corridor is suspicious, the character decides to search for traps. Since the character doesn’t know if the potential trap is a pit trap, dart trap, scything blade trap, collapsing ceiling, or so on, the character makes a Perception check to just look around for anything out of place. (The character rolls poorly and find nothing.)
Feeling the corridor is safe, the character heads down to the door. Upon seeing the door is locked, the character gets suspicious again and decides to search the lock for traps. Since the character knows what it is looking for, any parts in the lock that have nothing to do with the keyhole and tumblers, the character makes an Investigation check. (The character rolls high and notices the poison needle trap.)
After triggering the poison needle with a dagger and picking the lock with tools, the character opens to door to find nothing but a stone wall beyond; the door was a fake. There must be another way to progress, so the character searches the wall again, specifically for a secret door. This time, since the character knows what it is looking for, it makes an Investigation check. (Rolling better, the character notices the outline of a door in the wall.)
Now knowing there is a secret door, it is a matter of finding the means to open the door. This could go two ways. If the character chooses to just search the wall for anything that might cause a reaction, a Perception check would be made. If the character specifically states that it is searching the wall for a spot that could be pushed like a button, an Investigation check would be made. The main difference is that Investigation DC’s tend to be lower, but if the secret door is opened by a different means, the Investigation check might not find it. So there are pros and cons to both relying on Perception and using Investigation.
Touching Things
As with Investigation, it is assumed that you touch any object or area you are actively searching. This is because the Perception skill involves all five senses and the tactile sense (sense of touch) is one of the ways you can perceive something. Again, this touching can cause other things to happen, such as curses, and magical traps.
Just as with Investigation, you can examine an object or area without touching anything by stating that you wish to ‘Perception without touching’ (ignoring the bad grammar). This may prevent you from noticing certain things, especially if the information is based on temperature or texture.
Opening Things
Even though you are assumed to be touching things in the area you are searching, it is not assumed that you interact with any objects, such as furniture, while searching unless you state that you are. For instance when you search a chest, it is not assumed that you open the chest and search the inside for wire or hidden compartments. In fact, determining if it is safe to open the chest may be precisely why you are searching in the first place.
Thus, to include the interiors of objects or places that aren’t immediately accessible in your search, you must state you are opening any impediments that block you. For example, a character wants to search a jail cell block for clues. Since the doors are all closed, the character must state that it is using the jailor’s keys to open each cell while conducting the search.
Arcana
While not used as much as Perception or Investigation, the Arcana skill is also used to observe the environment. The Arcana skill is based on Intelligence and uses knowledge of arcane topics, such as magical energies, planes of existence, and advanced mathematics, to gain a better understanding of something you are interacting with.
Magic in 5E isn’t a hidden thing; it is usually quite noticeable, from glowing runes, to a tingle in the air, to a sense of dread. There are many things, tangible and intangible, that accompany magic and can be used to get an understanding (or at least a hint) of what to expect from the magic.
One of the uses of the Arcana skill that isn’t well know is that it is used to find and disarm magical traps. You don’t use tools for these kinds of traps. Now some magical traps might still use Perception or Investigation to notice, but many of the magical traps have some sort of emanation of energy or effect on the nearby environment that someone not knowledgeable about arcana wouldn’t think of as important. This allows a character to make an Arcana check to identify strange feelings or occurrences as indications of a magical trap.
The Arcana skill is also used to directly disable most magical trap, in addition to the dispel magic spell, though the specifics of how this generically works aren’t detailed in the rules. The idea is that each magical trap might be designed with a way to short circuit and diffuse the magic energies by taking some action combined with an Arcana check. Some DM’s may wish to detail this for each trap, while others may wish to simply leave it as ‘you make a check and the magical trap ceases to function’.
** House Rule: Arcana Proficiency **
In my games, I find the Arcana skill to cover a large amount of technical information that it is unreasonable to assume that anyone could have come across in their lifetime. Thus for any Arcana check dealing with a subject more complicated than simple mathematics, proficiency in the Arcana skill is required to be able to make the Intelligence (Arcana) check. This applies for magical traps as well: only those with proficiency in the Arcana skill have the in-depth understanding of how magical auras work to figure out how to disrupt them.