Perception

World of Darkness - Rulebook

Sometimes subtle or instantaneous actions occur around your character, testing his powers of observation. A shape races by. Someone hides behind nearby bushes. Maybe your character recognizes these events. Maybe he goes oblivious to them. Alternatively, a single unusual phenomenon is in his presence, and he may (or may not) recognize it without trying. Maybe a piece of furniture is out of place in a room or a door is unlocked when it should be locked.
The Storyteller typically knows when something unusual or out of place occurs in your characterÕs vicinity, and may call for a reflexive W its + Composure roll for your character to recognize it. Such observation almost always occurs without your character intentionally searching or looking (that's the province of "Investigation," p. 59). Perception rolls simply check to see if your character instinctually notices whatÕs going on. In many cases, the Storyteller may make perception rolls for you, so that you remain as aware or unaware of what's going on as your character.

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: Your character notices something strange or out of place, but it's not what has actually occurred, or he makes a dangerous assumption about the event. A picture hanging at an odd angle indicates that someone has moved it, but your character assumes that a door has been slammed, shifting the piece of art.
Failure: Your character notices nothing amiss or out of place.
Success: Your character recognizes that something has happened. If he wants to learn more, Investigation rolls are called for. See "Investigation," p. 59.
Exceptional Success: Your character not only recognizes when something unusual or quick happens nearby, he sees it all happen and gets a good look. Or he notices a variety of things that are amiss in his surroundings, just by entering the room.
Suggested Equipment: Hopped-up on caffeine (+1) or amphetamines (+2)
Possible Penalties: Dark (-3), obscuring weather (-1 to -3), subtle detail (-1), obscure detail (-3), distracting circumstances (-1 to -3)

Dice Pool: Wits + Composure or a relevant Skill in place of Composure
Action: Reflexive

Skill-Based Perception

During the course of play, you will be called upon frequently to roll dice to see if your character notices something in her vicinity, or that some detail is unusual. The Storyteller can always ask you to roll Wits + Composure to see if your character is aware of her surroundings, but there are other options. Perhaps more indicative of your characterÕs life experience and training is combining Wits + a relevant Skill to determine if your character spots something amiss. It could be Wits + Survival to realize that a predatory animal lurks nearby in the woods. Or it might be Wits + Academics to notice that the books on a shelf aren't arranged alphabetically, but by date of publication. Sure, Wits + Composure might accomplish the same result, but if your character has some capability with a Skill that's more reliable than her Composure alone, the Storyteller might allow you to roll Wits plus that Skill, instead.
As a general rule of thumb, the highest of Composure or the Skill is rolled along with Wits. While the stalked character in the example above might be a novice woodsman (Survival 1 ), he could still have decent Composure (say, 3). The latter of the two is rolled because the character's inherent senses and alertness compensate for his green status in the wilds.
Bear in mind that dots in some Skills or under some circumstances simply don't matter, and Wits + Composure always applies. For example, if a gun lies in the corner of a room, having the Firearms Skill doesn't help spot it. Anyone who gets a successful Wits + Composure can see it.
The Storyteller always has final say on whether a Skill can be combined with Wits to make a perception roll, or if Composure applies.