The problem is that there are no guidelines on how to do this. The rules assume you do nothing of the sort. (If so, there would be examples already in official published adventures.) You're using the skills you developed in more robust editions to breathe life into what's in effect a shallow version of the game.
Even the rules for skills leave much to be desired. There are no rules for checks to swim, jump, climb, etc. It's just an automatic "your character can do this." By the rules, being in bulky, heavy armor doesn't cause any undue hardship when your fighter tumbles from a crumbling ancient causeway. All we get is how many HOURS he can swim before being exhausted and how many MINUTES he can hold his breath (likely 16+ minutes) before he starts to drown. Traversing a burning building? Well there are no rules about smoke inhalation, obscuring vision, slower movement while blinded, etc.
So how is a DM supposed to extrapolate an exciting, dynamic battlefield when the rules give no guidance? You might as well just make up your own system.
And if you're talking about boring, 30 ft square rooms with bags of hit points walking around, look at the official D&D campaign adventures.
If I recall, one of the first starters had a gang of bad guys watching from a lookout, able to release a wall of water that would force checks orvglush some down to lower rooms with other guys party split, foes teo plsces, maybe more.
There are guidrlines... plenty of them.
Skills DCs are given by broad DC categories the GM assigns with advice in the DMG.
I think you mistake or conflate *has general guidelines not have set rules* for "assume you fo nothing of the sort."
Swimming, climbing, jumping have no check required by default, but they have possibilities for circumstances to require them- when the GM sets that scene that way.
I mean, look, what if they listed specific hard and fast DCs for swimming in quick flowing water (DC 15) and Rapids (DC 20). Would that be **any** different than saying the GM can call for checks in difficult swims and having moderate DC be 15 and Hard 20?
Nope. Not one single bit.
Cuz you still have the GM choosing for a scene "is it rapid or fast flowing?"
Obscuring vision by smoke- seems clear - pun intended - the GM decides if its lightly obscured or heavy. Slower cro@ding? GM decides is it difficulty or not **or** if its unstable enough to de facto count as trap with perception to spot the hazard - as shown in some of their APs for like loose stone or crumbling floors.
Again, what chart eould fo this **for** the GM? Unless every burning house had the same rules, it still comes down to the GM deciding how bad it is and getting a DC.
Sorry but the repeated referral to no guidance seems like either intentional overstatement or just not having read the books.
