{"id":704,"date":"2026-02-16T14:40:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/?p=704"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:41:17","slug":"dealing-with-perception-investigation-and-knowledge-checks-in-an-osr-nsr-manner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/dealing-with-perception-investigation-and-knowledge-checks-in-an-osr-nsr-manner\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with &#8220;Perception-Investigation&#8221; and Knowledge Checks in an OSR\/NSR manner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The following information has been <s>lifted<\/s> borrowed from the following sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/diyanddragons.blogspot.com\/2019\/10\/landmark-hidden-secret.html\">https:\/\/diyanddragons.blogspot.com\/2019\/10\/landmark-hidden-secret.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/elmc.at\/common-recalled-obscure\">https:\/\/elmc.at\/common-recalled-obscure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;Perception-Investigation&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework categorizes game information based on its accessibility to help GMs manage pacing and player agency. By distinguishing between <strong>Landmark<\/strong> (obvious), <strong>Hidden<\/strong> (investigative), and <strong>Secret<\/strong> (puzzle-based) details, GMs can reward exploration without relying solely on dice rolls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Category<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Definition<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>GM Action<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Player &#8220;Cost&#8221;<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Example<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Landmark<\/strong><\/td><td>Immediate, &#8220;free&#8221; information visible upon entry.<\/td><td>Describe these automatically to set the stage and provide context.<\/td><td><strong>None.<\/strong> (Free)<\/td><td>A large bookshelf, a heavy iron door, or a damp rug.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Hidden<\/strong><\/td><td>Details obscured by the environment or surface.<\/td><td>Reveal only if players interact with the landmark or spend time.<\/td><td><strong>Time &amp; Risk.<\/strong> (Searching or touching)<\/td><td>A trapdoor beneath the rug; a loose stone in the wall.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Secret<\/strong><\/td><td>Information that is functionally invisible or locked.<\/td><td>Require a specific &#8220;key,&#8221; logic, or resource to uncover.<\/td><td><strong>Specific Action.<\/strong> (Puzzles or tools)<\/td><td>Tilting three specific books in order to pivot the bookshelf.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaway for GMs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Landmarks<\/strong> give players the &#8220;map&#8221; of the room.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hidden<\/strong> elements provide the &#8220;risk\/reward&#8221; of investigation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Secrets<\/strong> provide the &#8220;eureka&#8221; moments of discovery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Knowledge Checks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework categorizes knowledge based on its accessibility and &#8220;cost&#8221; to the character. <strong>Common<\/strong> knowledge is free and immediate; <strong>Recalled<\/strong> knowledge is guaranteed but requires a fictional cost (like time or resources); <strong>Obscure<\/strong> knowledge is rare and uncertain, requiring both a cost and a successful roll. By using these tiers, GMs ensure that players always have enough information to make meaningful choices without letting die rolls stall the narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Category<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Definition<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>GM Action<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Player &#8220;Cost&#8221;<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Example<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Common<\/strong><\/td><td>Baseline info known by anyone in the area or profession.<\/td><td><strong>Give it away.<\/strong> Provide this automatically; restate it if players forget.<\/td><td><strong>None.<\/strong> (Free &amp; Instant)<\/td><td>A cleric knowing their deity\u2019s rites; a local knowing who the Baron is.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Recalled<\/strong><\/td><td>Information that is &#8220;within reach&#8221; but not immediate.<\/td><td><strong>Guarantee it for a price.<\/strong> Tell the player they can have the info if they spend a specific resource.<\/td><td><strong>Time, Access, or Exposure.<\/strong> (e.g., spending an hour, visiting a library, or owing a favor)<\/td><td>Consulting a book to identify a rare poison; spending a turn to remember a specific historical date.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Obscure<\/strong><\/td><td>Rare, technical, or forgotten lore.<\/td><td><strong>Roll for it.<\/strong> Use a roll only when info is contested or time is a constraint. Always provide a &#8220;partial truth&#8221; on a fail.<\/td><td><strong>Cost + Uncertainty.<\/strong> (A roll that might fail or result in a complication)<\/td><td>Deciphering ancient, blood-stained runes while a dungeon is collapsing; identifying a unique artifact.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaway for GMs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Common<\/strong> ensures the players can actually play the game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recalled<\/strong> rewards players for being methodical and using their surroundings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Obscure<\/strong> adds tension to high-stakes or highly specialized discovery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following information has been lifted borrowed from the following sources: &#8220;Perception-Investigation&#8221; This framework categorizes game information based on its accessibility to help GMs manage pacing and player agency. By distinguishing between Landmark (obvious), Hidden (investigative), and Secret (puzzle-based) details, GMs can reward exploration without relying solely on dice rolls. Category Definition GM Action Player [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=704"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":706,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions\/706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wyrdingmedia.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}