Telegraph Hell

You walk into the lounge at the asylum. Your footsteps echo off of the tile. The TV lights the room with a blue flicker. Roll a Spot Hidden.
Creep Finder #1: I blow it.
Creep Finder #2: Can I make a Spot Hidden Roll?
Creep Finder #3: Can I make one to?
Creep Finder #4: Yeah, me to.

Well, eventually someone's gonna make the freakin' roll and notice the nurse cocooned to the ceiling. Where's the suspense? Where's the fear? Where's the surprise? All of the Players know there's something hidden, or about to jump out, or there's a dead body behind the sofa, or...something. The GM's telegraphed it by asking for the roll and ruined the whole thing.

Horror games are my fave. But they're less fun when the Players know when things are creeping up on them or hiding behind the door, or dangling overhead. To prevent Telegraph Hell, I record the Listen and Notice skills of the characters before each session. I then have the Players roll 25 of these rolls in advance. That way, I can figure out if they notice the zombie behind the water heater, or if it jumps out at them after they slink past. I just go down the list and check off the rolls as they happen. That way I can work the result into the narrative.

Prerolling also eliminates the following:
As you make your way down the alley, a vampire leaps out of a darkened doorway and slams you into the opposite wall.
Creep Finder #2: Don't I get a Notice Roll?
Um, oh yeah.
Creep Finder #2: I make it.
Okay, rewind the interesting, cool, shocking drama and now you notice the vampire lurking in the doorway as you approach.
Creep Finder #3: Can I make a Notice Roll?
And so it goes. The preroll lets you work the results seamlessly into the story. It also heightens the suspense level of the Players. They don't know if you're about to use a good roll or a bad one. It's a surprise, the way good horror and drama should be.

Don't forget that this doesn't eliminate the ability for the Players to make a Notice Roll whenever they want. But if they don't choose to roll it on their own, it's already done.