Searching

[BlackSimon]

I am not sure whether I understand the rules for searching correctly. The rules say:

A character can only
attempt to look for secret doors once in any given area, and it
takes 1 turn. A second attempt cannot be made in the same
area.

Players must declare that their characters are actively looking for
traps, and they must be looking in the right place. This roll
may only be made once in a particular location, and it takes 1
turn per effort made.

Character actions that take one turn can
include looking for secret doors or traps in a 10Ê x 10Ê room,
or moving the full movement rate (120 feet unless heavily
encumbered) while mapping.

In the first example, searching for doors is restricted to an "area", in the second example, searching for traps is restricted to a certain "location" and in the third, it is said that a 10'x10' segment needs 1 turn.
Now these are the questions:
- Does this mean that when pressing forward through a tunnel (which is typically 10' wide), players would have to stop every turn to search for traps or secret doors if they want to be safe? Is searching really restricted to such a small area? normal rooms (lets say 30'x30') would need 9 turns to be searched, this seems quite a lot!
- Do you have to search for either traps or secret doors or is this one action? Also, what is with searching for treasure? Is this also a seperate action?
- How can you look in the "right" place for a trap when entering that small area of 10'x10' already activates the trap? For example the pendulum trap in Tomb of Sigyfel is activated when one steps on its space, but when you only cansearch for a trap when being in it's space how is that supposed to work?
- How much time do basic actions like jamming doors, picklocking, listeining, need?

Let's say two heros come into a 40'x40' room: Could one decide to search for traps, the other for secret doors, both needing 16 turns together?

[bighara]

Different people play to different levels of detail and different interpretations, but here are my 2 cp:

- Does this mean that when pressing forward through a tunnel (which is typically 10' wide), players would have to stop every turn to search for traps or secret doors if they want to be safe? Is searching really restricted to such a small area? normal rooms (lets say 30'x30') would need 9 turns to be searched, this seems quite a lot!

Short answer? Yes.

Resource management (including time) is a big factor in a lot of old-school gaming. You have to weigh your chances. It's a risk assessment: Do you take longer to prod every nook and cranny, using up torches and incurring more wandering monster checks? Or do you move along and hope there is no pit trap in the hallway? I interpret it as 10x10' is the "area" you search in a turn.

- Do you have to search for either traps or secret doors or is this one action? Also, what is with searching for treasure? Is this also a seperate action?

I allow that to be done at the same time, though it is two separate rolls. "Searching for treasure" is a bit vague. If the loot is hidden, how is it hidden? If it is behind a concealed panel in the wall, that's a secret door. If you are just snatching anything shiny that isn't nailed down, that isn't really a search and –while its own action– can happen much faster than careful searches.

- How can you look in the "right" place for a trap when entering that small area of 10'x10' already activates the trap? For example the pendulum trap in Tomb of Sigyfel is activated when one steps on its space, but when you only can search for a trap when being in it's space how is that supposed to work?

Not all traps take up the whole area. A hole in the wall that shoots poison needles can be seen from <10' away but you aren't in the line of fire. In the case of the pendulum trap, the thief might spot the trigger before stepping on it if they've declared they were searching beforehand.

- How much time do basic actions like jamming doors, picklocking, listeining, need?

Use your judgment. Realistically, picking a lock takes at least a minute or two. A ten minute turn seems a long time, so I usually allow it to happen within a few rounds. Jamming a door with a spike is a round or two (assuming spike and mallet are ready). Listening at a door? A round is enough.

Let's say two heros come into a 40'x40' room: Could one decide to search for traps, the other for secret doors, both needing 16 turns together?

As I said before, I would allow a PC to search for secret doors and traps at the same time. So if two PCs split the room, then eight turns to check everywhere. That's a thorough search, mind you. The PCs aren't just glancing around; they are poking and tapping and measuring as they methodically cover every foot of wall, floor, and (if reachable) ceiling.