Castles & Crusades question - Perception

[drewdavis]

First, hello forum! New guy here.

I recently decided to go back to 2nd edition because 5th ed has just kinda lost me. I miss the feeling of the old days. Still, once my group and I started playing, I found we were making house rules to make a few things make more sense.

Then I found Castles & Crusades.

I picked the PHB up at a game shop while visiting Illinois (Castle Perilous Games...great shop). The more I read it, the more I liked it. We switched to C&C and have really enjoyed it.

Anyway, on to my question:
What's your rule on Perception checks? The way I've been doing it is a Wisdom check without adding your level unless you're a Rogue or Assassin. Anyone do it differently? If so, how well do you feel it works?

[Fizz]

Welcome to the boards! You will find us to be a helpful passionate, sometimes wild, bunch.

Glad to have another 2nd Ed guy here. I grew up on 2nd Ed, and i loved the feel of it as well.

To your question, there is nothing wrong with how you're handling it. I think a number of people here do it that way here. If you search the boards, you'll find plenty of threads about this topic, with the usual "but that makes clerics better at spotting danger than rangers" (due to it being Prime-based) debate. Adding level for specific classes is a very good way to resolve that.

As an alternative- how would you do in 2nd ed? Perception checks are very much a thing from 3e and later editions (spot vs hide, etc). So just forget that influence it and do it however you would do it in 2nd ed. That will work perfectly well too.

-Fizz

[Go0gleplex]

Yeah...as Fizz said; pretty much do the same thing as well. Though I'm not wild or passionate....just crazy. lol

[Marcus Aurelius]

I don't have perception per se but only the Listen Class ability. Which I house ruled:

Listen class ability:
This class ability is not tied to an attribute but the rogue or assassin is treated as using a Prime attribute when making a Listen check.

If I want to give a PC a chance to notice something "odd" I use a roll against Wisdom, no class level added

[Marcus Aurelius]

BTW drewdavis

If a prospective player needs a PHB here is a pdf version free for them to get started. https://trolllord.com/product/cc-player ... -free-pdf/

[Ancalagon]

First, hello forum! New guy here.

I recently decided to go back to 2nd edition because 5th ed has just kinda lost me. I miss the feeling of the old days. Still, once my group and I started playing, I found we were making house rules to make a few things make more sense.

Then I found Castles & Crusades.

I picked the PHB up at a game shop while visiting Illinois (Castle Perilous Games...great shop). The more I read it, the more I liked it. We switched to C&C and have really enjoyed it.

Anyway, on to my question:
What's your rule on Perception checks? The way I've been doing it is a Wisdom check without adding your level unless you're a Rogue or Assassin. Anyone do it differently? If so, how well do you feel it works?

Welcome, drewdavis. May your zombies remain intact.

[Lurker]

DrewD, Welcome to the board, always good to see a new face around here.

For Perception I do wisdom checks (and yes clerics always have Wis Prime, but anyone can chose it as a prime if they want their character to be good at those things) and I have level added if what they are looking at/for falls in the purview of their class. A fighter can notice a weakness in something or a favorable place to fight and get an advantage, a ranger can notice tracks or ambush site, etc etc etc.

[Ancalagon]

DrewD, Welcome to the board, always good to see a new face around here.

For Perception I do wisdom checks (and yes clerics always have Wis Prime, but anyone can chose it as a prime if they want their character to be good at those things) and I have level added if what they are looking at/for falls in the purview of their class. A fighter can notice a weakness in something or a favorable place to fight and get an advantage, a ranger can notice tracks or ambush site, etc etc etc.

Emphasis mine.

Interesting. Not adding the level for things outside the purview of the class helps enforce / compel teamwork.

I recently had some discussion with a fellow CK / DM about perception which got me thinking about trying the use of INT or WIS for the attribute check to allow a little more flexibility.

Elves would have an automatic target number 12 regardless of INT or WIS being a primary or secondary. My thinking is that the auto 12 would work better for simulating the superior senses of elves from Tolkien's Middle Earth than the generic +2 to certain checks. I've not tried this in game play yet but its rolling around in my head.

[JShan101]

For general Perception, like hearing a noise or noticing something, I just use a regular roll, with level added. Trying to hear through a door or overhearing a whispered conversation, stuff that falls in the Rogue's purview per the ability, no level for other classes.

[Fizz]

And in a lot of cases, a check might not even be a check required.

There is also the difference between the general and the specific. Consider the ranger's Track ability. No one needs to be a ranger to notice a giant footprint in the mud (or even make a check). But only a trained ranger would notice the small scuff marks on a rock and be able to interpret them.

Noise and spot checks can be given the same treatment.


-Fizz

[Marcus Aurelius]

Fizz is correct. Those distinction are important for a GM to keep in mind.

[BASHMAN]

I would let barbarians and rangers add their level bonus, too. But otherwise that seems fine to me.