Characters must often maintain a careful awareness of their environment. Subtle clues can hint at imminent danger or unexpected advantage. The Perception skill represents the character making an active attempt to study his surroundings. This is how a character notices concealed or inconspicuous signs of danger or other items of significance when actively seeking them out. The skill is critical for anyone who faces peril on a regular basis—whether they are in the wilds of a frontier world or among the urban jungle of a sprawling city.