My players insist on trying to sense motive after literally every line of literally every NPC.
They always level Sense Motive.
I am so fucking tired of explaining every line of dialogue, what the fuck do I do?
Limit them to one skill check per scene.
>>47477458
Reply in a monotone voice:
You sensed his motive. It was clear. Or you didn't sense his motive, it was unclear.
Eventually they will understand and leave your group.
That level of scrutinization is emotionally exhausting. Will saves to to not take charisma/intelligence/wisdom damage. Not HARD will saves, but existent, which means that if they keep questioning literally everything it'll happen eventually.
As DM, roll their skill check as a hidden roll. Don't reveal their result. If they fail their sense motive, don't tell them, just intentionally mislead them - let their failures play out realistically. Enjoy the sense of justice you get from fucking with them.
>>47477484
This. They can make one check a scene, so they better make it count. Have their intense scrutiny of every little thing said start affecting their relationships with NPCs. Give them a reputation for being distrustful malcontents.
Hidden rolls for where it actually matters would probably be best
>>47477458
Set sense motive as a passive skill. If D20 assume they always take 10. Give them a bonus or penalty to the flat score depending on the questions they ask. Let them know if they detect a lie or if something otherwise suspicious or ridiculous is in earnest. Let them know this is how you are now handling this skill.
You could do the same for perception if you wanted. Really, I think this method can be applied to most basic skills that are heavily tied to roleplaying and PC/GM interaction.
>>47477458
Tell them that from now on, you're using a passive Sense Motive score and you'll keep track of it behind your DM screen, and that any rolls will be made by you in secret so they can't metagame around a low result.
>>47477513
Yeah. Make them as paranoid and insane as they act.
>>47477484
This is good
I had the exact same problem OP, one player in particular would roll it after everything.
It'll help if you explain to them that it's taxing on you for them to roll sense motive on everything and that if they don't stop you're going to have to implement something to get them to cut it down, like giving them a limit on how many times per scene or having the target react to the scrutiny.
You're all there to have a good time. What you don't want to do is punish them without telling them why.
>>47477602
>Tell them that from now on, you're using a passive Sense Motive score and you'll keep track of it behind your DM screen, and that any rolls will be made by you in secret so they can't metagame around a low result.
Holy shit; was op NOT doing this to begin with?
That's how it fucking works! Shit!
Give them a permanent malus to sense motive and force them to roll sense motive on each other, too, when applicable. They now have PPD.
