Perception is linked to Wisdom.
Make a Perception check to notice clues, detect secret doors, spot imminent dangers, find traps, follow tracks, listen for sounds behind a closed door, or locate hidden objects. This skill is used against another creature’s Stealth check or against a DC set by the DM. In most situations, the DM uses your passive Perception check result to determine if you notice a clue or an imminent danger.
- Perceive something:
- Action type: Minor action[RC:150]. However, no action is required when the DM is using a creature's passive perception. Carefully searching an area (the creatures's space and squares adjacent to it) takes 1 minute or more.
- DC: See the table for DCs when you’re trying to hear or spot something, searching an area, or looking for tracks.
- Success: The creature perceives something. If the creature is carefully searching an area, it finds something assuming there's something to find.
- Failure: You can’t try again unless circumstances change.[PH:186]
- Find a Hidden Creature:
- Action type: Minor action.
- Opposed Check: Against a target creature's Stealth check. Relevant modifiers from the Listen and Spot tables may be applies depending on how the creature is trying to find a hidden target.
- Success: The target is no longer hidden. If the creature is performing the check cannot see the target for some other reason, it still knows where the target is located.
| Listen | Perception DC |
|---|---|
| Battle | 0 |
| Normal conversation | |
| Whispers | |
| Through a door | +5 |
| Through a wall | +10 |
| More than 10 squares away | +2 |
| Spot or Search | Perception DC |
|---|---|
| Barely hidden | |
| Well hidden | |
| More than 10 squares away | +2 |
| Find Tracks | Perception DC |
|---|---|
| Soft ground (snow, loose dirt, mud) | |
| Hard ground (wood or stone) | |
| Rain or snow since tracks were made | +10 |
| Each day since tracks were made | +2 |
| Quarry obscured its tracks | +5 |
| Huge or larger creature | -5 |
| Group of ten or more | -5 |
Perception utility powers[]
Characters trained in Perception may select a utility power in place of their class power (but not from a paragon path or epic destiny)
- Far Sight - Level 2[PH3:173]
- Guided Shot - Level 6[PH3:173]
- Trapfinding - Level 6[PH3:173]
- Warning of Peril - Level 6[PH3:173]
- Foil Ambush - Level 6[DSH:54]
- Focused Sight - Level 10[PH3:173]
- Perfect Sight - Level 10[PH3:173]
- Spot Weakness - Level 10[PH3:173]
- Uncanny Instincts - Level 10[PH3:173]
Errata[]
- In the player's handbook, you can't retry a perception check unless circumstances change.[PH:186] This clause was silently dropped in the Rules Compendium.
- Various DCs were changed from fixed amounts to the Easy/Moderate/hard.
Trivia[]
- The DC modifier for things more than 10 squares away is a flat +2, implying you can see someone several miles away. It is up to interpretation if the GM wants to increase it by +2 for each square beyond or +2 for every 10 squares.
Other bonus sources[]
- An inquisitive's kit gives a +2 bonus to perception checks to search an area for something specific.
- Investigation gear gives a +2 bonus to perception checks to search an area for specific details.
- Surveyor's gear gives a +2 bonus to perception checks to search for secret doors and hidden rooms, but using the gear takes 5 minutes.
- A listening cone gives a +2 bonus to perception checks to listen through doors and walls.