[RPG] When performing an Investigation check to look for traps, do you activate any traps if you roll under the DC

dnd-5efumblesskillstraps

When performing an Investigation check to investigate traps, do you activate the traps if you roll under the DC?

If you are, for instance, checking out the floor looking for pressure plates and roll low, would you activate the trap? Or would the DM just tell you that you found no traps?

Best Answer

It depends

This is up to the DM and how they have decided to implement how players go about with their investigation checks. Some checks have no chance of triggering a trap and hence don't apply to this situation, but there are a few situations where that might not be the case.

For example, if you were to check all the tiles on the floor of a room for a pressure plate you could accidentally trigger the pressure during your check as you might step on a trap during your check.
(If you rolled low enough to miss the trap)

In my experience in such cases the DM often asks how you go about doing the check and depending on the roll (if it's low enough) and your actions, you might inadvertently trigger the trap.

Related Topic