How to make your pc's realise that there's no point to making the check (humour) [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to make your pc's realise that there's no point to making the check (humour) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Arniha
07-05-07, 03:18 AM My favourite for search checks when there is nothing to find:

DM: you enter a stone chamber, 5x5, in the centre is a wooden trapdoor.
Fighter: I search the wall at a 14.
DM: You find a wall. Made of stone and mortar.
Rogue: Howabout at a 22?
DM: Its a wall. Its exceedingly walllike.
Rogue: Whatabout...
DM: (frustrated) go ahead and take 20. Its a wall. It remains to be so. You are quite sure that you could not find a better example of such. Its wallness is extreme to the point of perfection. As you search said wall you discover that it is in fact solid. Remarkably so. You are certain as to its solidity. You discover that it has no liquid portions, or any portions not made of exceedingly solid stone and mortar. Move ON.
Potato Weasel
07-05-07, 09:57 AM In an epic game, they might find an alternate reality wherein the wall -is- trapped or hides a secret door.

Otherwise:

It's a wall. You search it. You find another wall connected to it on the left, and another one on the right, you also discover walls that run above and below you, the open corridor beside you seems to elude your attention.
tarkin
07-05-07, 11:23 AM I would go the other way. Player wants to constantly re-roll when there is nothing there? Let them.

Go with it.

"You find a crack. It is not very dep. Faint. Like maybe someone has hit the wall with a head."

Let them dig and pry and break into it. Have wandering monsters attracted by the noise.

Have the monsters laugh at them for digging into the wall before the fight begins.

If they continue to insist on checking that area, have another set of adventurers come by from the other direction, saying how they just killed an evil monster and took all this loot. "Good luck with your secret wall".
tui
07-05-07, 02:21 PM That's actually pretty funny tarkin!

What I've seen DMs do is each time the player rolls again, answer before the die has finished bouncing around... or even before they roll. Our players usually pick up on that pretty quick and move along.
ADHadh
07-05-07, 03:56 PM That's about searching the wall, but how d you convince players that a locked coffin is locked and it's not for opening and it does not contain anything valuable?

I've made the party cleric roll a Wis check to make his conscience work against robbing tombs (an idea from the 'If a Paladin falls in a forest, does he make a sound' thread).
tarkin
07-05-07, 04:17 PM Hm. In the 80's there was a time when people bought signs that said "No radio" to put in their car and discounrage thieves from breaking the window looking for a removable radio.

Maybe we need a "No loot" sign for the coffins
Dnarris
07-05-07, 04:21 PM That's about searching the wall, but how d you convince players that a locked coffin is locked and it's not for opening and it does not contain anything valuable?

I've made the party cleric roll a Wis check to make his conscience work against robbing tombs (an idea from the 'If a Paladin falls in a forest, does he make a sound' thread).

How about just making it at coffin that isn't locked with nothing in it of value?
utilitarian
07-05-07, 05:29 PM "You find a clue. It says 'forget the damn wall and get on with it'"

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Arniha 07-05-07, 03:18 AM	My favourite for search checks when there is nothing to find: DM: you enter a stone chamber, 5x5, in the centre is a wooden trapdoor. Fighter: I search the wall at a 14. DM: You find a wall. Made of stone and mortar. Rogue: Howabout at a 22? DM: Its a wall. Its exceedingly walllike. Rogue: Whatabout... DM: (frustrated) go ahead and take 20. Its a wall. It remains to be so. You are quite sure that you could not find a better example of such. Its wallness is extreme to the point of perfection. As you search said wall you discover that it is in fact solid. Remarkably so. You are certain as to its solidity. You discover that it has no liquid portions, or any portions not made of exceedingly solid stone and mortar. Move ON.
Potato Weasel 07-05-07, 09:57 AM	In an epic game, they might find an alternate reality wherein the wall -is- trapped or hides a secret door. Otherwise: It's a wall. You search it. You find another wall connected to it on the left, and another one on the right, you also discover walls that run above and below you, the open corridor beside you seems to elude your attention.
tarkin 07-05-07, 11:23 AM	I would go the other way. Player wants to constantly re-roll when there is nothing there? Let them. Go with it. "You find a crack. It is not very dep. Faint. Like maybe someone has hit the wall with a head." Let them dig and pry and break into it. Have wandering monsters attracted by the noise. Have the monsters laugh at them for digging into the wall before the fight begins. If they continue to insist on checking that area, have another set of adventurers come by from the other direction, saying how they just killed an evil monster and took all this loot. "Good luck with your secret wall".
tui 07-05-07, 02:21 PM	That's actually pretty funny tarkin! What I've seen DMs do is each time the player rolls again, answer before the die has finished bouncing around... or even before they roll. Our players usually pick up on that pretty quick and move along.
ADHadh 07-05-07, 03:56 PM	That's about searching the wall, but how d you convince players that a locked coffin is locked and it's not for opening and it does not contain anything valuable? I've made the party cleric roll a Wis check to make his conscience work against robbing tombs (an idea from the 'If a Paladin falls in a forest, does he make a sound' thread).
tarkin 07-05-07, 04:17 PM	Hm. In the 80's there was a time when people bought signs that said "No radio" to put in their car and discounrage thieves from breaking the window looking for a removable radio. Maybe we need a "No loot" sign for the coffins
Dnarris 07-05-07, 04:21 PM	That's about searching the wall, but how d you convince players that a locked coffin is locked and it's not for opening and it does not contain anything valuable? I've made the party cleric roll a Wis check to make his conscience work against robbing tombs (an idea from the 'If a Paladin falls in a forest, does he make a sound' thread). How about just making it at coffin that isn't locked with nothing in it of value?
utilitarian 07-05-07, 05:29 PM	"You find a clue. It says 'forget the damn wall and get on with it'"