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How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Consider the following common cases:

• A player standing guard in torchlight while the others are sleeping: Should they roll their perception check with disadvantage because an enemy will be approaching through the dim light, even though other things might happen in the bright light which should be caught by the same check, for example a rat stealing some rations from their backpack?
• A player wanting to look out for traps as they move through a dungeon, where a hidden wire or pressure plate would first come into view in the dim portion of torchlight before entering the bright area. Do they roll normally and simply not notice anything in the dim light? Should the DM subtract 5 from their roll for the dim area?
• A player wanting to examine a wide field with moderate foliage in a few patches for any sign of enemy activity, where a goblin is hiding in one of the bushes and faint tracks of goblins in the grass? Should the singular action of examining the field be divided up into multiple rolls for each part?

The question is only about active Perception checks as called by the players (for passive checks, the rules are clear, as per Dale M's answer).
I am especially looking for official rulings or suggestions on how to handle cases such as this or examples from someone who has come up with a working system (or a way to avoid such checks in the first place).

How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Consider the following common cases:

• A character standing guard in torchlight while the others are sleeping: Should they roll their perception check with disadvantage because an enemy will be approaching through the dim light, even though other things might happen in the bright light which should be caught by the same check, for example a rat stealing some rations from their backpack?
• A character wanting to look out for traps as they move through a dungeon, where a hidden wire or pressure plate would first come into view in the dim portion of torchlight before entering the bright area. Do they roll normally and simply not notice anything in the dim light? Should the DM subtract 5 from their roll for the dim area?
• A character wanting to examine a wide field with moderate foliage in a few patches for any sign of enemy activity, where a goblin is hiding in one of the bushes and faint tracks of goblins in the grass? Should the singular action of examining the field be divided up into multiple rolls for each part?

The question is only about active Perception checks as called for by the players (for passive checks, the rules are clear, as per Dale M's answer).
I am especially looking for official rulings or suggestions on how to handle cases such as this or examples from someone who has come up with a working system (or a way to avoid such checks in the first place).

How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Consider the following common cases:

• A player standing guard in torchlight while the others are sleeping: Should they roll their perception check with disadvantage because an enemy will be approaching through the dim light, even though other things might happen in the bright light which should be caught by the same check, for example a rat stealing some rations from their backpack?
• A player wanting to look out for traps as they move through a dungeon, where a hidden wire or pressure plate would first come into view in the dim portion of torchlight before entering the bright area. Do they roll normally and simply not notice anything in the dim light? Should the DM subtract 5 from their roll for the dim area?
• A player wanting to examine a wide field with moderate foliage in a few patches for any sign of enemy activity, where a goblin is hiding in one of the bushes and faint tracks of goblins in the grass? Should the singular action of examining the field be divided up into multiple rolls for each part?

The question is only about active Perception checks as called by the players (for passive checks, the rules are clear, as per Dale M's answer).

How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Consider the following common cases:

• A player standing guard in torchlight while the others are sleeping: Should they roll their perception check with disadvantage because an enemy will be approaching through the dim light, even though other things might happen in the bright light which should be caught by the same check, for example a rat stealing some rations from their backpack?
• A player wanting to look out for traps as they move through a dungeon, where a hidden wire or pressure plate would first come into view in the dim portion of torchlight before entering the bright area. Do they roll normally and simply not notice anything in the dim light? Should the DM subtract 5 from their roll for the dim area?
• A player wanting to examine a wide field with moderate foliage in a few patches for any sign of enemy activity, where a goblin is hiding in one of the bushes and faint tracks of goblins in the grass? Should the singular action of examining the field be divided up into multiple rolls for each part?

The question is only about active Perception checks as called by the players (for passive checks, the rules are clear, as per Dale M's answer).
I am especially looking for official rulings or suggestions on how to handle cases such as this or examples from someone who has come up with a working system (or a way to avoid such checks in the first place).

How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Does a player wanting to overlook the field or keep watch in the torchlight roll with disadvantage or not? My instinct would be to roll as normal and subtract 5 for detecting anything in the obscured areas, but I would prefer a ruling or suggestion either from official material or a tried and tested houseruled method.

How should you handle rolling for perception in areas with different levels of obscurement? E.g in darkness illuminated only by a torch (20ft bright light and 20ft dim light beyond that) or on a field with "moderate foliage" or "patchy fog" only in certain areas?

Consider the following common cases:

• A player standing guard in torchlight while the others are sleeping: Should they roll their perception check with disadvantage because an enemy will be approaching through the dim light, even though other things might happen in the bright light which should be caught by the same check, for example a rat stealing some rations from their backpack?
• A player wanting to look out for traps as they move through a dungeon, where a hidden wire or pressure plate would first come into view in the dim portion of torchlight before entering the bright area. Do they roll normally and simply not notice anything in the dim light? Should the DM subtract 5 from their roll for the dim area?
• A player wanting to examine a wide field with moderate foliage in a few patches for any sign of enemy activity, where a goblin is hiding in one of the bushes and faint tracks of goblins in the grass? Should the singular action of examining the field be divided up into multiple rolls for each part?

The question is only about active Perception checks as called by the players (for passive checks, the rules are clear, as per Dale M's answer).