D&D 5E Mitigating players spamming Help, Guidance, Bardic Inspiration, and oh I’ll roll too?

[Greenstone.Walker]

Also, if it’s a simple task, with no time pressure or distractions, and the character is proficient, it shouldn’t even be a roll unless the DM wants to see how well they do at it.

Something I've just thought of:

Time
If there is no chance of failure but the elapsed time is important then make the roll, but don't treat a low roll as "failed to perform the activity"; treat it as "took longer than normal to perform the activity."

For example, there is generally no way a skilled woodworker is going to fail to create a simple chair. Sometimes, however, a one hour job takes two hours.

 

[ClaytonCross]

I am also with you on the not allowing after check guidance but in the interest of "door swings both ways" also being sure as gm to give them a beat between "its uncertain if you will succeed" and "you start it" for these things.

The "gm calls check" should not be in and of itself an ambush. (Exception - actual ambushes)

Sure, and thats my intent too. I point is that calling the check is not a signal to the character in game to cast guidance. So the players needs to explain why they cast guidance right now after walking throught the forest alday without casting it or they are triggering the spell casting on a metagame reason. If a character says I am going to try and jump that hole and tie off the rope, the other player can in response to an in game justify why they are suddenly calling for guidance to aid an ally. The

forethought requires a reasonable trigger of an action that is a risk of failure or danger. Casting guidance to go shopping for the next 10 minutes is not really something a character in game is likely to do, nor are they going to do it keep watch at all times. However if they are trying to convince someone to buy a particularly awesome item (with a moment to step aside and cast without warning the shop keeper) or if they think someone is following them... then suddenly they have a reason to take a precautionary action.

Calling for a GM check is not an ambush... but its not a valid trigger to cast a spell ether... the reason for the check needs to be obvious and the

forethought a reasonable response to the call. If a player wants to use guidance on perception checks... they have to know they are looking around all the time... so without a reason to focus its just odd and then the casting of guidance is simply a moment in time just as the call for check and if an ambush is intended or any other check without a fore shadowing happens and must be responded to immediately, then then an attempt to cast guidance would happen after the check because the trigger for the check was the same as the trigger to cast guidance but that means the check happens while the spell is being cast not while the spell is active. In a way that means some GM checks are kind of like ambushes... however, other are not and even an ambush might have a precursor if some in the party had a really high passive perception for example.​

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