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listen_skill

Listen (Skill)

LISTEN (WIS)

Use this skill to hear approaching enemies, detect someone sneaking up on you from behind, or eavesdrop on a conversation.

Check: Make a Listen check against a DC that reflects how quiet the noise is that you might hear or against an opposed Move Silently check.

The GM may call for a Listen check by a character who is in a position to hear something. You can also make a Listen check voluntarily if you want to try to hear something in your vicinity.

The GM may make the Listen check in secret so that you don't know whether not hearing anything means that nothing is there or that you failed the check.

A successful Listen check when there isn't anything to hear results in you hearing nothing.

Try Again?: You can make a Listen check every time you have the opportunity to hear something in a reactive manner. As a move action, you may attempt to hear something that you failed (or believe you failed) to hear previously.

Special: When several characters are listening to the same thing, the GM can make a single 1d20 roll and use it for all the listeners' skill checks.

You can take 10 or take 20 when making a Listen check.

Taking 20 means you spend 1 minute attempting to hear something that may or may not be there to hear.

A character with the Alertness feat gets a +2 bonus on all Listen checks.

A sleeping character can make Listen checks, but takes a -10 penalty on the checks.

Time: A Listen check is either a reaction (if called for by the GM) or a move action (if you actively take the time to try to hear something).

  • Sound DC
  • A battle -10
  • People talking 0
  • A person in medium armor walking at a slow pace, trying to be quiet 5
  • An unarmored person walking at a slow pace, trying to be quiet 10
  • A 1st-level Fast hero sneaking up on someone 15*
  • A tiger stalking prey 20*
  • DC Modifiers
  • Through a door +5
  • Through a solid wall +15
  • Check Penalties
  • Per 10 feet of distance -1
  • Listener is distracted -5
listen_skill.txt · Last modified: 2021/12/04 00:39 (external edit)