Rolling a natural 20 for skills

[Anditch]

If you are rolling say for a perception skill for someone hiding and say its a score of 27 needed. I roll a natural 20 and have a low perception of say a 3. So i have a total of 23. Do you think that as I have rolled a natural 20 it should always be a pass even though I have a total of 23 and i need a 27. I feel there should be a small chance of success. What do people think of this rule. I feel that a natural 20 should always be a success.

 

[Revinor]

There is a problem with skills - in some cases they can be retried for free. In this case, you can assume that people would finally roll 20. With your solution, it means that can accomplish ANYTHING. Think about epic skill usages from Epic Handbook from 3rd edition. Pass through wall of force? DC 120. What is the problem, I will succeed on 20. Even if you don't allow rerolls for such skills, still one in 20 peasants will teleport through it.

Climb on the smooth ceiling ? Why not. Run over water? One in 20 will succeed. Swim up waterfall? Done.

Of course, there are no such DCs yet in 4th edition. But you are opening up possibility of doing the impossible by just trying hard enough.

In combat it is bit different situation. Yes, one in 20 peasants can hit a dragon, even if they should not - because dragon will not drop from one peasant hit, plus he will obliterate attackers in next round anyway. Such assumptions do not transfer well to skill checks.

 

[Nifft]

I give "something cool" when a skill check gets a natural 20.

For skill challenges, I grant two successes, and possibly something extra.

For normal skill checks in combat, I give a small defensive bonus for 1 round.

This, paired with "no auto-fail on 1", will hopefully encourage my players to make cool skill checks.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Syrsuro]

You could always resurrect a variant of ahe THACO rule from 1stAD&D: A role of a 20 was treated as if the character rolled a 25. This gives a bonus for rolling a 20 without allowing the ludicrous.


Carl

 

[Dodavehu]

You could always resurrect a variant of ahe THACO rule from 1stAD&D: A role of a 20 was treated as if the character rolled a 25. This gives a bonus for rolling a 20 without allowing the ludicrous.

I had a similar house rule in D&D 3e that I plan to use again in 4e. A natural 20 isn't an auto hit, it merely gives you +10 to the result (as though you rolled a 30), assuming that hits you deal a crit. The same is done for skill checks.

So in the OP's example, he/she would have succeeded since their total result would have been 33, which beats the 27 DC. Although they would have failed to swim up that waterfall.

Similarly, if you roll a 1, you get a -10 to the result (as though you'd rolled a -9).

I also use the natural 20=two successes on a skill challenge.
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