DF: Hearing question

[b-dog]

I have just a basic question. Suppose you and your party are chopping up a monster in one room , what do you use for the hearing rolls for monsters in the other rooms? How do doors and distance affect hearing? And what would their logical response be when they heard something? Would they go investigate or would they prepare for battle in their own room?

Thanks.

[sjmdw45]

Hmmm. I can't help thinking that the genre (DF) response is not going to be the same as the "logical" response, or the monsters wouldn't be living in 10' x 10' dungeon cells in the first place. :)

Probably go with Per checks at a small bonus (say +3 minus half range penalties) to notice the noises. Unintelligent creatures might (50% chance) come rushing in to the current fray, attacking any and all creatures--if the GM is willing to deal with the complexity. Otherwise have them do nothing. Intelligent creatures could do the same, or set up an ambush. Certainly it negates any chance of the party achieving partial surprise.

-Max

[demonsbane]

Suppose you and your party are chopping up a monster in one room , what do you use for the hearing rolls for monsters in the other rooms?

The secondary characteristic Perception (Characters, p.16).

But huh, a lot of this depends of the particular monsters and the configuration of the dungeon, but trying to imagine a "general" situation we have:

Stealth is a Quick contest betwen stealth skill and the monster's Perception (Characters, p. 222)

Also see "Sense Rolls: Hearing" (Campaigns, p. 358).

How do doors and distance affect hearing?

Distance is covered in "Sense Rolls: Hearing" (Campaigns, p. 358).

There are some issues about Hearing covered in DF 2: Dungeons (pages 7 and 18).

If we lack of more specific advice, I think you need to think a reasonable and convenient penalty based in the bulk of the doors.

And what would their logical response be when they heard something?

Would they go investigate or would they prepare for battle in their own room?

Hey ;) That is too dependent of the monsters!

Ok if they are orcs in a sort of garrison, for instance, I think they should be enough alterted for themselves readying for approaching to the intruder(s) for attacking him.

If they are natural predators, they could be enough alerted but not necessarily charging foolishly for attacking.

If they are very nasty monsters, they will rush to attack!

This isn't very different from another gamemastering procedures, don't think? I guess you already did this lots of times.

Cheer

[Kromm]

Basically, DF assumes the usual old-school approach to dungeons: wandering monsters wander, and are more likely to show up if you're noisy (DF 2, p. 20). Other encounters are set, and don't go off until you trigger them. The logical answer would be that once you start kicking doors and fighting in an enclosed underground tunnel complex, word would get around quickly and everybody would show up, but that would be out-of-genre and also considerably less fun (although a "thieves' test" of silent entry and killing ability would be a fun gimmick for one large area).