I'd like to know which skill am I supposed to use when my character is actively looking for something or someone, trying to observe stuff ?

Ex. Character in the woods actively looking for his friend who's just been snatched by a spider, is supposed to roll "Search", "Explore" or "Awareness" ?

Thanks in advance!

Search.

Explore is used in Journeys for trailblazing, and Awareness is used to see if you notice something you aren't actively searching for.

I'd say Search myself.

It is definitely a Perception task, and I would think would use Wits, so Search it is.

Yeah, the rules even say that Search is used for tasks (active) and Awareness is used for test (passive).

Ok, thanks a lot people. I was hoping you all would say "search" too.

On the other hand, can you give me some good uses for the "explore" skill ??

Avoiding natural hazards. Navigating over a river. Finding the path if lost. Navigating difficult terrain.

So I'm supposed to run Explore like a Survival skill, uh ?

Sounds good to me! =D

Thanks, Sky!

Yep.

I agree to Search, but I'd just chip in that Hunting might well find what you're looking for more quickly, as it includes what other games count as a separate Tracking skill. If there are tracks to follow, that's more specific than doing a Search throughout the area.

TOR has everything a player can seek to do as a Task need to be fitted in somewhere within the grid of 18 Common Skills. Trying to find someone is clearly a Wits-ruled thing to be doing, so it should be logical to narrow it down to the Wits column of the Perception row = Search.
Explore is a Body-ruled skill, so it's either to do with the physical function of good eyes (like Awareness) or the vigour of someone who's able to range over a lot of terrain to find whatever relatively obvious thing they're looking for.

But also, the way TOR structures things, this should be a Task where the player suggests what they're trying to do -- rather than a Test where the LM stipulates what he needs them to roll on. Any sensible suggestion should be accepted and allowed the roll, even if it's not using the best approach. Maybe the difficulty goes up a couple of levels for a less optimal approach -- especially if they're specifying a skill because they're better at it, instead of specifying the best skill for the job.

Cheers,
--Os.

Some great thoughts here, Osric. Thanks for the insight.

=)

I agree. Wise Osric is wise.

Explore IS a Survival Skill... look at the Skill Group.

/wolf