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<blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 7300551" data-attributes="member: 6777696"><p>Skills only enter into it when we call for a check.</p><p></p><p>Now, theoretically, I could see a situation where, knowing a character had a certain proficiency, I ruled an action to be trivial, whereas I would not make the same ruling if the character didn't have that proficiency. I guess the character could have reminded me that they were proficient in Arcana when telling me they were looking at the symbol. It wouldn't have mattered in either of the above cases.</p><p></p><p>When the player tells me what they are doing, I ask myself, "Would this action have a reasonable chance of failure?" And if so, I call for an ability check and allow players to add proficiency where appropriate. If the answer is "No," then I just narrate the result as successful. Another question that I sometimes ask myself, and that I sometimes wish I asked myself more is, "Would failing this moderate action be stupid, boring or a waste of time, and does it seem reasonable that a character would succeed?" In which case I will also skip the check.</p><p></p><p>These are not under any circumstances "GM fiats." They are rulings as to the appropriate DC and skill check for any given task under a given set of circumstances. Tasks with a DC less than 10 generally don't require a roll, per 5e rules.</p><p></p><p>As for player book keeping being equated with character attentiveness, that's right. No, the character doesn't need a "note taking" skill check to recall information that the player has dutifully recorded. The Player might choose to play a character as absent-minded and, as a point of role-play, choose to have that character not remember that information or not act on it. That is entirely up to the Player. It is not my job, as a DM, to enforce that. Eventually, with any skill, the PC should run up against tasks that are difficult and require a skill check. At this point, the illiterate, uneducated Barbarian with a photographic memory will run aground.</p><p></p><p>I'll add that, unless we are playing an explicitly investigation focused campaign (say Cthulhu), I'll never have an adventure that completely hinges on detailed note-taking from the players. When we run an investigation adventure, I do have a notebook on hand and I ask one of the players to take notes and then give the book back to me at the end of the session. This way, I can keep track of what information the players are retaining and plan accordingly. Otherwise, I'll encourage players to try and keep track of names and plot points, but I won't require them to recite a combination that was found scribbled on a piece of paper 5 sessions ago. That's not our idea of fun.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="redrick, post: 7300551, member: 6777696"] Skills only enter into it when we call for a check. Now, theoretically, I could see a situation where, knowing a character had a certain proficiency, I ruled an action to be trivial, whereas I would not make the same ruling if the character didn't have that proficiency. I guess the character could have reminded me that they were proficient in Arcana when telling me they were looking at the symbol. It wouldn't have mattered in either of the above cases. When the player tells me what they are doing, I ask myself, "Would this action have a reasonable chance of failure?" And if so, I call for an ability check and allow players to add proficiency where appropriate. If the answer is "No," then I just narrate the result as successful. Another question that I sometimes ask myself, and that I sometimes wish I asked myself more is, "Would failing this moderate action be stupid, boring or a waste of time, and does it seem reasonable that a character would succeed?" In which case I will also skip the check. These are not under any circumstances "GM fiats." They are rulings as to the appropriate DC and skill check for any given task under a given set of circumstances. Tasks with a DC less than 10 generally don't require a roll, per 5e rules. As for player book keeping being equated with character attentiveness, that's right. No, the character doesn't need a "note taking" skill check to recall information that the player has dutifully recorded. The Player might choose to play a character as absent-minded and, as a point of role-play, choose to have that character not remember that information or not act on it. That is entirely up to the Player. It is not my job, as a DM, to enforce that. Eventually, with any skill, the PC should run up against tasks that are difficult and require a skill check. At this point, the illiterate, uneducated Barbarian with a photographic memory will run aground. I'll add that, unless we are playing an explicitly investigation focused campaign (say Cthulhu), I'll never have an adventure that completely hinges on detailed note-taking from the players. When we run an investigation adventure, I do have a notebook on hand and I ask one of the players to take notes and then give the book back to me at the end of the session. This way, I can keep track of what information the players are retaining and plan accordingly. Otherwise, I'll encourage players to try and keep track of names and plot points, but I won't require them to recite a combination that was found scribbled on a piece of paper 5 sessions ago. That's not our idea of fun. [/QUOTE]
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