Rogue listen check retry

[alcyone]

From Listen under Rogue and Assassin:

"A rogue can retry this ability once a round."

Of course, my player, sitting outside the door, not yet in combat time as no one has heard him yet, rolls to listen. And then rolls again. And again, hoping to listen every 10 seconds until he heard something.

What was the reason for the once a round retry here? I ruled that this wasn't the intent of the rule, but I couldn't really think of a situation where a retry would make sense; I hate to take anything found in the text of the class away.

I certainly see nothing wrong with a retry during combat, especially if it costs the rogue's action to do so. Out of combat time I can see it being another opportunity for the monsters to notice them, but in the case of a door and a party standing still, not a large one.

[Fiffergrund]

The reason for the retry is that a character can listen as long as he or she desires. Sometimes it's a matter of who blinks first.

For example, on the other side of that door, something is sitting still, sitting quietly, or sleeping (not snoring). Perhaps that something is deliberately trying to be quiet. If there's nothing to hear, it's impossible to have a successful listen result.

However, if the rogue is *convinced* there's something there, he or she can keep trying - and if something on the other side happens to move, he or she may have a better chance of hearing it.

A reasonably played rogue obviously wouldn't make 10 consecutive failing checks and still think something is there. At some point roleplaying has to kick in and displace metagame thinking.

I personally recommend not letting the rogue player roll the check to keep an aura of mystery around it. If the player knows the outcome, he or she can base the decision to continue on whether or not the check was successful and by what degree (what DC was reached). I don't like players having that sort of information - it allows an artificial method for them to hedge their bets.

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I would penalize listening during combat due to the ambient noise. I also agree that multiple listening attempts require time, and therefore places a small additional risk on a party in hostile territory.
_________________
Sir Fiffergrund, Lord Marshal of the Castle and Crusade Society.

He Who Hides Behind The Elephant's Back