[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

I worry that Spot will get over-used, and everyone will get such a high skill that no detail could ever be missed!

I'd prefer to reserve Spot skill for when the players actively decide to look for something (likewise Listen) and use Idea-type, INTxN, rolls when the GM is deciding whether to give out some clue. But usually I forget, and just call for Spot/Listen rolls...

I try and distinguish between three categories of information that can be derived from a scene:

• Elusive details only a sharp observer would catch - revealed by a suitable Spot roll.
• Obscure ramifications of what is present - revealed by a suitable Idea roll (or specific skill where appropriate).
• Concealed information of material - revealed by a suitable search strategy and requiring only sufficient time and the correct search strategy to locate.

To quote what I posted recently at Yog-Sothoth.com:

I tend to use "Spot Hidden" in CoC as exactly that - the chance a character will pick notice a salient detail that, if not actually concealed, is certainly easy to miss due to the "signal to noise ratio" in the scene - it might be a significant look between two NPC's, the feint scent of ambergris in the air, the sudden absence of bird song, the fact that a book has been moved whilst the characters back was turned or whatever.

Sometimes, if it's more a matter of rationally processing information I may ask for an Idea roll instead or, depending on the scene, a Spot Hidden success will alert the character to the fact that "somethings off" then an Idea roll lets them determine WHAT exactly (which often allows the "you know somethings wrong, but you can't work out what" which seems very in genre to me...).

If items are actually hidden (secret journal concealed behind other books on a bookcase, a safe behind a painting etc.), I may allow a Spot Hidden to reveal clues to their presence when the character enters the room - but if the Players tell me they are searching the room then I rule based on their planned search as to how long it takes them to find things and skill rolls are rarely involved; I may use successful Spot Hidden rolls to allow them to locate things quickly however - e.g. if they are frantically searching the room for the journal whilst an NPC is elsewhere but likely to return.

Cheers,

Nick Middleton