Detail view  Back to full view


Searching something (requires light) (past tense searched)

Searching looks at the contents of an open or transparent container, or at the items on top of a supporter. These are often mentioned in room descriptions already, and then the action is unnecessary, but that wouldn't be true for something like a kitchen cupboard which is scenery - mentioned in passing in a room description, but not made a fuss of. Searching such a cupboard would then, by listing its contents, give the player more information than the ordinary room description shows.

The usual check rules restrict searching to containers and supporters: so the Standard Rules do not allow the searching of people, for instance. But it is easy to add instead rules ('Instead of searching Dr Watson: ...') or even a new carry out rule ('Check searching someone (called the suspect): ...') to extend the way searching normally works.


Typed commands leading to this action

    "look inside/in/into/through [something]"
    "search [something]"

Rules controlling this action

    before    doing something in The Captain's Office   
    instead    searching the heap of refuse for the first time   
    instead    searching the heap of refuse for the second time   
    instead    searching the heap of refuse for the third time   
    instead    searching the leaves   
    instead    searching the mud   
    instead    searching the moss   
    instead    searching the stones_temple   
    instead    searching the heap of refuse   
    instead    climbing, taking, searching, entering, looking under, opening, closing, attacking, kissing, smelling, tasting, eating or drinking the ruined building between the trees   
    check        an actor searching  can't search unless container or supporter rule
    check        an actor searching  can't search closed opaque containers rule
    report        someone trying searching   [E1]
    report        searching a container  standard search containers rule
    report        searching a supporter  standard search supporters rule
    report        an actor searching  report other people searching rule


[E1]. Defined in Custom Library Messages by David Fisher