# There is no rule nor set of rules to govern when rolls should be secret or when they should be public.

Performing every Roll in secret is not against the rules, so long as the dice are being interpreted fairly. But it does slow the game and make it seem less fun.

Generally, secret rolls are used when the GM wants to hide something from the rest of the Players. There are two kinds of secret rolls: The DM rolls a D20 for everyone behind the screen, or the DM takes the Passive Value for that stat and compares it to the DC, like in the case of Passive Perception.

These are typically used in a situation where the DM doesn't want to alert the party to an unfolding situation unless they succeed. If I as a DM tell my party to "Roll Perception", it instantly alerts them to something, whereas the Passive Perception allows me to make a quick and silent decision.


There are a few times when Characters would roll in-secret, too. For example, a character in the party who is secretly a host for a spirit might have rolls done in-secret to determine if the inhabiting spirit tries to take-over that player's body, say, to pull them out of danger. A Rogue might make their Detect Traps roll performed in-secret so that the rest of the party doesn't know how well they did.

However, too much secrecy makes that player seem special, and can make the other players frustrated, in-addition to slowing the game down.

Secrecy is a plot effect, and, like all plot effects, it is best used in moderation.