Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristopherA  Even for things like searching for secret doors, I rarely use such skill checks in a non-timed situation, for the same reason I avoid passive checks - it means you decide whether they succeed based on the skill bonus rather than by rolling |
It's not THAT easy to pick DCs to ensure they'll automatically be passed (or failed) using Take 10/20. Aid another, items, powers, rituals, etc. can be used to boost skill checks in ways you may not have anticipated.
Anyway, now we're entering adventure design philosophy rather than the question if take 20 checks make sense.
Why do you decide to put a secret door in your adventure?
- Do you want, expect or require it to be found?
- Do you want to challenge the players or the characters?
- Do you prefer sandbox-style, de-facto adventures with fixed DCs or do you scale them to be appropriate for the party level?
Take 20 is simply a shortcut if you want to handwave the rolling of dice and the pcs don't care how long it takes them to perform the task. It definitely has its uses.
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