D&D 5E (2014) Ability check DC based on level

[Waller]

Sure this is a really obvious question. Is there a table somewhere which shows appropriate ability check DCs by level or by adventuring tier? I'm sure htere is and I'm just blanking on it.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The DC is based on the task, not on one attempting it.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

The DC set by a DM for any particular ability check is not based on level. It is based on the stated goal and the stated approach the character takes to accomplish that goal. The game works just fine if you assign the Typical DCs (DMG P238) of 10 (easy), 15 (medium), and 20 (hard) as your DCs. Experienced adventurers should be more capable than novices.

 

[commandercrud]

Hey, level 10 thief, pick this lock.

That is too hard. How about you, level 1 thief?

No problem.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Sure this is a really obvious question. Is there a table somewhere which shows appropriate ability check DCs by level or by adventuring tier? I'm sure htere is and I'm just blanking on it.

There isn't one. 5e assigns DCs according to the task attempted, regardless of who's doing the task or what level/abilities they have. It's technically not even based on the task, but the specific action, so it's not technically correct to assign a DC to a wall to climb prior to a PC trying to climb it, although assigning static DCs is a common shortcut. Instead, the PHB has a list of common DCs by difficulty of the task (as determined by the GM), which are:

Easy.................................DC10
Moderate......................DC15
Hard................................DC 20
Very Hard......................DC 25
Nearly Impossilbe......DC 30

The reason for this is because of bounded accuracy -- the most the non-expert will be able to achieve with an ability check is +11, and that's after 17th level, with maximum ability, and proficiency. So, this character would fail about 40% of the time at a hard check (DC20). However, on the flip side, that same character could have a -1 in a different ability check, making a hard check (DC20) impossible. The expert can get up to +17, but they're an expert, and really should only be challenged by very hard or nearly impossible checks.

Now, if you're party can routinely leverage Bardic Inspiration or Guidance, then this gets skewed a bit, but that's really a matter of how easy is it to anticipate a challenge and leverage those abilities.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Hey, level 10 thief, pick this lock.

That is too hard. How about you, level 1 thief?

No problem.

Level is irrelevant--only ability (i.e. total modifier) and luck matter.

FWIW, I think the linear d20 is too swingy for ability checks (luck becomes more important than skill...) which is why a lot of groups use 2d10 or 3d6 for ability checks.

 

[Waller]

There isn't one. 5e assigns DCs according to the task attempted, regardless of who's doing the task or what level/abilities they have. It's technically not even based on the task, but the specific action, so it's not technically correct to assign a DC to a wall to climb prior to a PC trying to climb it, although assigning static DCs is a common shortcut. Instead, the PHB has a list of common DCs by difficulty of the task (as determined by the GM), which are:

Yes, I know that. I'm assuming that somebody on the internet has done the math for me and put together what DCs are easy for a party of X level though.

 

[Waller]

Aha, found it! This blog has a handy table assuming a 65% success rate at a given level.

Rationalized Skill Check DCs for 5th Edition D&D

Something that always bugged me with the skill check DC guidelines for this edition is that there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to them beyond just going up by 5 because it’s a…

songoftheblade.wordpress.com

 

[Waller]

The DC is based on the task, not on one attempting it.

That wasn't my question. Thanks though. I found what I was looking for!

 

[Reynard]

Level is irrelevant--only ability (i.e. total modifier) and luck matter.

FWIW, I think the linear d20 is too swingy for ability checks (luck becomes more important than skill...) which is why a lot of groups use 2d10 or 3d6 for ability checks.

The easiest solution is to either reintroduce "taking 10/20" or to just not roll unless it really matters. Why would a 10th level thief fail to pick the lock? Answer that question both from an in-world perspective and a meta-game perspective and you'll probably find you don't need to roll at all: it's either automatic, or impossible.