1D&D: The 5E Skill System Is Bad (Patron PDF)
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Comments
While expertise definitely gets close to actually breaking bounded accuracy (and with a magic item or two you can get there completely) I don't think it's really fair to say that it's particularly negative for the skill system in 5e. First off, the math changes for the vast majority of the game doesn't come out to going from a normal degree of failure to an absolute success with expertise. Secondly, the characters who use expertise are often the character who make surgery skill checks. It doesn't matter what the odds are, the fact that there is a chance of failure to start with makes it tense on its own. More personally I also just think the nature of the game should change over time, like if I as a rogue am still having problems picking locks at 14th level, then what was the point of getting good at picking locks? I want to try and figure out how to be two places at once to keep up my alibi, and dealing with the negative outcomes of the reputation my roguish ways have given me.
Bikzimus Maximus
2022-09-12 12:09:26 +0000 UTCOK so my take as someone who first tested the original critical hit and critical fumbles system feel although it was far more complicated it was still more realistic than a one always misses and an 20 always hits. I never played those rules and never will. 1 is no more important than a 4 with a minus 3 penalty. Having a negative number should be no more significant than a null result. Same with 20s Now if you want to make life interesting and play critical fumbles and critical hits, by all means roll that in yourself. For sure, it is more realistic to thnk that a calculated 1 even from a skilled player could be considered a penalty with dire unforeseen consequences . Balancing on a barrel that is flowing down a choppy river and firing an arrow should be difficult, and so a failure there should be intentionally hilarious. I get it is all about the skill system but really does it need to be so hard and fast. So of the most annoying sessions I have had is when some bookworm picks over the rules to find a loophole and feels smug about it. Thanks for your take on it. I like how you sanitise this sort of nonsense in a way that is just about keeping the game flowing and not about contorting to fit a new way someone thinks it should be played.
veritanuda
2022-09-04 09:22:42 +0000 UTC
