Secret Awareness Tests and Seeker Role

[eltom13 34]

Most of the time I deem it appropriate to role Awareness (and also Psyniscience for that matter) tests secretly so that the PCs are not aware (no pun intended) if they missed anything or not. But then the "Nothing Escapes My Sight" role bonus of the Seeker cannot be used very often. It's only a minor problem but nevertheless I would appreciate input from other GMs how they would handle this. Maybe there are also other tests where there is a trade-off between secrecy by the GM and the PCs wanting to spend fate points which I have not investigated yet?

[Alox 107]

I am not really a big fan of secret awareness rolls, instead I often ask them to do an awareness roll and something it is important other times it is not. I have yet to see my seeker spend a fate point to auto-succeed one of these.

[cpteveros 255]

Just ask them to do Awareness rolls at random, with only like 10% of them actually being pertinent. It makes it less obvious that there's an ambush to look out for if they are used to making Awareness rolls at random moments. 

[ColArana 163]

A lot of times my GM has us roll awareness not necessarily to find anything in particular, but to see how much we see, and generally anytime we enter a new area, with poor rolls giving us only the most rudimentry details (you enter the foyer. It's a huge room, and you see a lot of people), and good ones giving us hints as to what our objective may be (pointing out specific individuals or details).

 

It also allows him to easily disguise when an Awareness roll is really important, as in: rolling awareness to notice the Lictor creeping up on you. We have no reason to be suspicious so we don't necessarily go: "Oh **** we missed something!"

Edited September 8, 2015 by ColArana

[eltom13 34]

Just ask them to do Awareness rolls at random, with only like 10% of them actually being pertinent. It makes it less obvious that there's an ambush to look out for if they are used to making Awareness rolls at random moments. 

 

A lot of times my GM has us roll awareness not necessarily to find anything in particular, but to see how much we see, and generally anytime we enter a new area, with poor rolls giving us only the most rudimentry details (you enter the foyer. It's a huge room, and you see a lot of people), and good ones giving us hints as to what our objective may be (pointing out specific individuals or details).

 

It also allows him to easily disguise when an Awareness roll is really important, as in: rolling awareness to notice the Lictor creeping up on you. We have no reason to be suspicious so we don't need to necessarily what we're missing.

 

That is actually a neat trick. I also like the use of Awareness for "standard" settings description. BUT I think there are certainly situations in which it is not hard to guess for the PCs that their next Awareness roll is going to be about surprise. Like when they are sneaking through a decrepit tunnel in some forlorn part of the lowest levels of the main hive ...

But nevertheless I think I will stick to your suggestions, the input is appreciated, thanks.

[madMAEXX 84]

That is actually a neat trick. I also like the use of Awareness for "standard" settings description. BUT I think there are certainly situations in which it is not hard to guess for the PCs that their next Awareness roll is going to be about surprise. Like when they are sneaking through a decrepit tunnel in some forlorn part of the lowest levels of the main hive ...

But nevertheless I think I will stick to your suggestions, the input is appreciated, thanks.

 

 

This trick also works in said tunnels. Crank up the suspense, than let them make an Awareness check. Then, like in a bad horror movie: BAMM! JUMPSCARE! In reality there was just a friggin rat, that jumped through the tunnel in front of them. The Arbiter will think twice to assume that a test is important (and thus spend a Fate Point), only because the setting might indicate something.

[eltom13 34]

This trick also works in said tunnels. Crank up the suspense, than let them make an Awareness check. Then, like in a bad horror movie: BAMM! JUMPSCARE! In reality there was just a friggin rat, that jumped through the tunnel in front of them. The Arbiter will think twice to assume that a test is important (and thus spend a Fate Point), only because the setting might indicate something.