| Pick Pockets | Open Locks | Finding and Removing Traps | Setting Traps | Moving Silently |
| Hiding in Shadows | Hear Noises | - | Climbing Walls | Back Stabbing |
| The Thief | Listening At Doors | - | Dragon magazine | 1e AD&D |
Hearing Noise
is simply listening intently.
The thief
and his or her
accomplices must
themselves be quiet (but not silent as in moving). This
function can be
repeated as often as desired. It requires a full minute to
listen, i.e. one-tenth
of a normal turn, or time equal to a melee round.
Note that sleeping
creatures, undead, and many other creatures do not
make sounds discernible
through a portal. Success informs the hearer that
someone or something
awaits beyond the portal. (DMG)
Q: Is the thief's
hear noise ability
continuous, or does it require
concentration?
Is the ability strictly
limited to listening at
doorways?
A: The hear noise
ability is neither automatic
nor continuous. The thief
must
quietly concentrate on hearing
noise; if he
is wearing a helmet, he
must take it off. A
thief is not limited to
listening at doors; he
can hear faint sounds from
any source.
(142.10)
DMG:
Hearing
Noise:
This is pretty straightforward.
The thief, just as any other
character,
must take off helmet or
other obstructing headgear in order to press his or her ear to the door
surface in order to hear beyond.
see Listening
at Doors +
see Hearing
Noise +
LTH (d47, bd3)
The chance to hear noises assumes
that the area is quiet. If the party is
talking or moving about, this action will negate the chance. Hearing a
sound can
also involve discerning what is heard
—
but this ability does take thief’s training.
Reroll (at the same chance as to hear
a
noise) to see if the sound was discerned
as to what a likely source or cause might
have been. Discerning a noise might not
only mean hearing bits of actual conversation,
but might also allow a guess as to
how many persons are engaged in speaking.
The DM should not give away too
much!
Obviously, non-thieves can hear things,
but the ability of discernment should
not
be allowed to them. Give other characters
1/2 of a thief’s chance (by level) to
hear noises, but avoid a procession of
1 character after the other going to the
door to listen! Such a procession might
be heard from the other side. Note that
Undead rarely make noise.