#rpgaday #rpgaday2019 - RPG a Day - "Examine"

Day 11 - Examine

In early editions of Dungeons & Dragons, and therefore in most of the retro-clones like Swords & Wizardry, there was a concept of Player Skill. Your characters didn't have skills, proficiencies and whatnot. It was up to you, the player to come up with ideas and provide some descriptions. 

To examine the room you did not roll for your room searching skill. 

Ready to examine the environs

How do you want to do this?

You would then describe how you're checking all the chests, all the drawers, looking for secret compartments and such. In long hallways and corridors of a dungeon you would search for traps by checking if all the stones are the same level, if some stepping plates seem to be covered in dust as if no one walks on them, and then you would poke them anyway with a ten foot pole.

Ten foot pole - an adventurer's necessity since the first D&D module B1 - In Search of the Unknown

Your descriptions of examining objects, places, surroundings are part of the fun. 

Don't do yourself a disservice by turning it into a dice rolling game.