D&D 5E Changing the Skill Check Paradigm

[Wrathamon]

Yup. The way the Variant method is meant to work is that DMs should be calling for Ability Checks, not Skill Checks.

Isn't this how the game works, not a variant? I agree with you. DMs shouldnt be calling for Skill checks. There is no such thing. Do a search for Skill Check. Nothing comes up.

You call for an Ability Check depending on what the player is doing aka describing their action. The DM then says what skills might be useful. That is not a variant ...

Oh okay I see what you are referencing the Variant: Skill with Different Abilities section. This section talks about using proficiency in a skill with another ability score. Using the ever popular Strength for intimidation instead of charisma.

 

[Mr Fixit]

You investigate things by using History to recognize the type of arrowhead,or Nature to figure out what kind of bird the fletching comes from, or Medicine to note that the wound wouldn't have been immediately fatal and so he must have been shot elsewhere.

I agree. I really dislike Investigation and would like to see it removed. Easy enough to house rule however. If a PC is investigating a scene, I want to hear what is it he's trying to do. "I investigate" is just as meaningless as "I handle an animal" or "I survive"

 

[Wrathamon]

not everyone is Sherlock Holmes, but some people want to play him.

 

[Mr Fixit]

not everyone is Sherlock Holmes, but some people want to play him.

Nothing stopping them, right?

I understand what you're getting at, though. Investigation can be handy with certain types of players who tend to get stuck a lot. Or with overly railroady DMs.

 

[Thank Dog]

Get better players. Or learn how to challenge them better.

If you've got players that are that risk-averse, then (a) you've been overly punitive for minor failures, (b) insufficiently flexible in setting up your challenges, or (c) they're a lost cause.

Wow. I didn't realise I or the people I play with were playing D&D wrong

 

[Wrathamon]

a puzzle shows up for one of my players and he just shuts down. He has some mental issue with puzzles, but loves playing the "smart" character. He just doesnt like logic puzzles. "He says he wants to have fun, and not have to think. He does that for a living."

Everyone has been playing D&D wrong since 1976.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Maybe this is a typo on your part, but the player decides?

Also, this could make a skill check a two step process instead of a one step. If as DM I ask for a Con check, then the players involved roll and get their total. With a skill check instead of a Con check, we would be done and those who passed the DC made the roll. But with this system, it seems now like the players who missed the ability check would start making suggestions as to skills that might apply so that they might get that bonus that you are talking about.

It seems like it might often be a situation of, "Oh, I missed that roll. Could Athletics apply?" after the fact. As opposed to a situation of "Can I apply Athletics to this check?" asked by the player ahead of time.

Not a typo so much as not being entirely clear, and perhaps the use of "decides" wasn't the right word on my part. I merely meant that the player or DM can offer up the skill as a possible bonus to the Ability Check, rather than the DM having to know every PCs skill proficiencies and telling the player to apply X or Y skills. As an example... player says they are checking out the runes on the weird pillar, DM tells them to make an INT check, player says they are proficient in Arcana, and the DM says he can add the bonus. Or the DM could tell the player to make an INT check and can add the bonus if proficient in Arcana. I have and do run it either way depending on the situation and how much I already am set on what is established for the check.

Is it occasionally a two-step process rather than just a one? Sure. But at least for me... not every check I ask for will I necessarily know if a skill bonus should apply, because I'm usually always thinking Ability Check, rather than Skill Check. I might just say "Make a WIS check", and the player might then offer up a skill they have and explain why it might apply. I can then decide either Yea or Nea at that point. But in reference to what you mentioned, this would all happen prior to the roll, not after. I agree with that.

 

[KarinsDad]

Not a typo so much as not being entirely clear, and perhaps the use of "decides" wasn't the right word on my part. I merely meant that the player or DM can offer up the skill as a possible bonus to the Ability Check, rather than the DM having to know every PCs skill proficiencies and telling the player to apply X or Y skills. As an example... player says they are checking out the runes on the weird pillar, DM tells them to make an INT check, player says they are proficient in Arcana, and the DM says he can add the bonus. Or the DM could tell the player to make an INT check and can add the bonus if proficient in Arcana. I have and do run it either way depending on the situation and how much I already am set on what is established for the check.

Is it occasionally a two-step process rather than just a one? Sure. But at least for me... not every check I ask for will I necessarily know if a skill bonus should apply, because I'm usually always thinking Ability Check, rather than Skill Check. I might just say "Make a WIS check", and the player might then offer up a skill they have and explain why it might apply. I can then decide either Yea or Nea at that point. But in reference to what you mentioned, this would all happen prior to the roll, not after. I agree with that.

Thanks for the explanation. That sounds reasonable.

 

[nomotog]

This is how I am ruining skills. Player says what they want to do and I tell them what ability they should roll and if they can add their proficiency bonus. A lot of the times, no one thinks of a skill proficiency to apply. I kind of worry that might be a bad thing?

 

[Joddy37]

The player needs to be specific about the related task. She shouldn't just say "I am checking the runes", she has to say how she checks them.

"I'm checking the runes using my arcana to understand if it is a glyph or a magical keyword for a ward of some sort."

DM: "Ok. You can roll your wisdom arcana. "

Or

"I look at the runes and wonder if it is an ancient dwarven prayer for the dead."

DM: "Ok, you know dwarven language already, roll a wisdom check with history."