Perception (skills)

A character's Perception measures what they are able to see, hear, or otherwise sense (unlike Investigation, Perception doesn't involve approaching, searching, or handling an object of study.) The most commonly used ability score is Wisdom. A character might use Constitution for a long stretch of sentinel duty, or Intelligence to pick up on changes to the type of stone bricks used deeper than elsewhere in a dungeon. Specialties: farsight, invisible objects, listening, scent.

Source: a5e-ag

Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses. For example, you might try to hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you might try to spot things that are obscured or easy to miss, whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in the shadows of an alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.

Source: srd-2014

Using a combination of senses, notice something that's easy to miss.

Source: srd-2024