| abstract | - When a character fails to notice something important or obvious, something they would want to know, even when looking. Differs from Weirdness Censor (where they don't see it because it's so bizarre), Selective Obliviousness (where they don't want to see it), and Somebody Else's Problem (where they ignore it because they don't care). Also differs from Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny, as there usually isn't that excuse. Opposite of Hyper Awareness. Can often result in Right Behind Me (although that might be closer to failing a Listen check) or I'm Standing Right Here. The name comes from a running gag in the webcomic The Order of the Stick, which is itself based on a mechanic from Dungeons and Dragons, where a character's success on various tasks is determined by a die roll added to their ability modifier and relevant skill ranks. The skills in question include several that require substantial luck, like Appraise, Use Magic Device, Hide, or the various Perform skills, but also such mundane tasks as Listen and Spot. Indeed, the Spot skill, which determines whether someone notices events around them in time to react, is often very dependent on luck, even if it's something any idiot should be able to see. A single failed Spot Check can put the whole party at a disadvantage, and if you're not lucky you can miss something vital, even while looking for it. Ironically, both in D&D games and in The Order of the Stick, the players will know that they failed a spot check (though D&D GMs are encouraged to roll spot checks secretly when necessary), thus they are aware of not being aware of something, only not knowing what that something is. In the D&D case, the player is aware of the character not knowing something. In The Order of the Stick case, the lack of distinction between player and character reaches the level of Medium Awareness, and is Played for Laughs. This doesn't necessarily imply that the character is stupid; they just aren't noticing an important "something". In a role-playing setting, players who fail their spot checks badly enough may even find themselves "discovering" something both incredibly large and plainly obvious (such as an island or a mountain), instead of the one unobtrusive detail that they were trying to find. May relate to Genre Blindness and Plot Induced Stupidity. May be a sign of a character carrying the Idiot Ball or being an Unwitting Pawn. When the character's creator explicitly decides what he can and cannot notice, it may lead to Plot-Sensitive Snooping Skills. In cases of characters consistently failing spot checks to penetrate a Paper-Thin Disguise, we have Clark Kenting. Someone who does this too often may be Too Dumb to Live, or it may be a case of Obfuscating Stupidity, especially if the spot check failures suddenly stop at a crucial point. Can result in the characters realizing that Camp Unsafe Isn't Safe Anymore. Also, this is Truth in Television, as anyone who lost his keys in the open middle of his desk can say. Behind the Black or No Peripheral Vision is when the character should be able to see it from his vantage point, but doesn't because the audience can't from their angle. The Chaste Hero is a character (usually male) who consistently rolls "1"s where romance is concerned. If the thing they're failing to notice is a breaking news story, that's Ignored Vital News Reports. If everyone fails to notice a creature that's big and dumb enough that its presence ought to be obvious, it's Suspiciously Stealthy Predator. Strangely, more likely to happen to a Meganekko than someone with an Eyepatch of Power. If the author does this, you may see Rouge Angles of Satin. Examples of Failed a Spot Check include:
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