How long for a perception Roll?

[Christopher]

I really searched the Core books and both APG's, but I just can't find any ruling regarding "how long does a perception roll take in combat".

The only rule I found is about "fighting blind" (lack of targetting sense; 6E2 7) and how to reduce the penalties:

Half Phase for Perception Roll +0, that lowers the blind fighting penalties against a single target until the next phase.

 

"Making a perception Roll" is listed as example half phase action (6E2 18), but that is contradicted by the Perception Modifiers list on 6E2 12 - here taking a half phase gives a +1, so I think there should be a perception roll that is shorter at +0.

 

My guess is:

The Perception Roll made in Skill vs Skill (like Stealth vs Perception) contest is a "Action that takes no time".

In addition a character can make one Percption Roll per phase if the player thinks he missed something:

At +0 as a Zero Phase action

At +1 as a Half Phase action

At +2 as a Full Phase action with 1/2 DCV.

[Steve Long]

Re: How long for a perception Roll?

 

There is no set amount of time required to make a PER Roll — it’s up to the GM. Some things a character can take in with a quick glance; others he has to look at for a long time to figure out what they are. And of course the Sense(s) used may affect how long a PER Roll takes. For most characters, using Sight to see something is likely to take less time than using Smell/Taste to locate the source of an odd odor.

 

As noted on 6E2 18, the suggested default for most PER Rolls is a Half Phase (the rules also state that explicitly that a Half Phase is required to perceive a target in combat with a Nontargeting Sense; see 6E2 7). For Sight PER Rolls the GM rules can be performed more quickly, taking a little longer provides a bonus to the roll as indicated at the bottom of the leftmost table on 6E2 12.