Mind the (Skill) Gap
Added 2024-02-06 14:00:07 +0000 UTCContinuing our look at checks in 5e, this week I break down the math behind scaling results and show how they can address groups where one character is an expert and the rest are amateurs.
Comments
I think the next article will get at that last point.
Mike Mearls
2024-02-06 20:53:53 +0000 UTCThey should definitely succeed a lot, but DMs should also find ways to keep them challenged. A fundamental failure of the game is its inability to make it clear what exactly a 25+ on a skill check should yield. It feels lame to roll a huge number and get the same thing as the character who hits the DC exactly.
Mike Mearls
2024-02-06 20:53:21 +0000 UTCI really like this, especially how this works with group checks. For individual checks, while I like the concept/presentation, I worry about how easy such a system is for DMs to implement in practice, especially new DMs. At some point in the future, I would like to see something on how a DM might manage all of these setbacks and critical successes in a practical way, both in play and through prep, without it turning into a mountain of extra work.
Thomas Dunn
2024-02-06 18:08:08 +0000 UTCThanks for the examples of how a critical success would help further checks! We see this kind of idea all over, and don't get good examples. This was great. We do think high level highly proficient PCs should succeed a lot, right? After all, players invested resources to get that, we should reward that investment.
Michael Sixel
2024-02-06 17:01:58 +0000 UTC
