Are we Taking 10/20 enough?

[AuraSeer]

Anyways, can't you ALWAYS take 10 on a skill (except in certain situations, like in combat, or when stressed)?

Yes. As long as you are not rushed, threatened, or distracted, you can take 10 on any check. (Some skills, like Use Magic Device, give explicit exceptions.)

Note that even though you must not be "rushed", taking 10 is no more time-consuming than making a normal check. If the skill takes 1 round to use when rolling, it takes 1 round to take 10.

[edited for typo]

 

[Gizzard]

Anytime you have additional TIME on your hands, and you can be especially cautious or careful when using the skill take 10.

Well, what puzzled me about the PHB description is that it specifically mentions that Take 20 takes generally 2 minutes instead of 6 seconds (6sec x 20 = 2min), but doesnt say anything about Take 10 except "you cant do this when rushed..."

So if Take 10 takes additional time, then how much additional time does it take?

 

[buzz]

So if Take 10 takes additional time, then how much additional time does it take?

Taking 10 takes no additional time. As long as you are not threatened or distracted, you can Take 10. You can't Take 10 when using a skill untrained, however, unless it's something really routine.

This is the explnanation from d20M, at least. It will most likely appear in 3.5e as well.

 

[AuraSeer]

So if Take 10 takes additional time, then how much additional time does it take?

buzz is correct, it takes no additional time.

The restriction on being "rushed" seems similar to the one about being distracted. If someone is looking over your shoulder, waiting urgently for you to finish your task, you're "rushed" and you can't take 10; but it still takes the same amount of time to get the task done.

This is why you're more likely to make mistakes when your boss is watching you work.

 

[The Souljourner]

I always thought the take 10 and take 20 rules were fairly easy to understand.

Take 10 is just doing your average everyday effort, when you aren't really worrying about anything else. About the only time you can't take 10 is when you're in combat. The part about being "rushed" is stupid, just ignore it. You can't "rush" most actions, they take how long they take. When taking 10 you take just as long as usual, you just don't need to roll.

Take 20 is just like take 10 except it takes 20 times as long, and you can't do it if there are negative effects for failing. So climbing up 30 feet you can't take 20 on, because if you screw up, you'll fall. You can take 20 on picking a lock, though, since there's no negative effect for failing to pick a lock.

It's really very simple.

Now, as for actually using these, yeah, a lot of my friends forget they can just take 10. When someone calls for a <blank> check, the automatic reaction is to pick up a die. This happened the other day in an epic campaign we were in. My friend with 30 strength was trying to open a stuck door, and is notorious for rolling crappily. After two failed attempts with bad rolls I was like "dude, just take 10". He did and opened it without incident.

I think people think about taking 20 a lot more often than taking 10. Taking 20 is the "crap, this thing is really difficult, I guess we have to waste the time and do it until we get it right". Taking 10 is the "this isn't really an obstacle, so just kinda walk on by" thing. And people forget they can just take 10 instead of having to roll.

-The Souljourner