D&D 5E At Your 5E Table, How Is It Agreed upon That the PCs Do Stuff Other than Attack?

[Hriston]

Basically 2 and 5, although sometimes player will describe their intention, DM will call for check if warranted, roll will happen, and then player will describe how the action actually looked based on the result of the role.

I guess that would fall under the sixth option? Fortune at the Beginning is not my cup of tea, but it occurred to me while writing out the options, and I figured it would fit in there, with the description of the action taking place after the resolution of the declaration of intent.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Could be any of the above depending on the context. But if it matters, the dm usually decides if a roll is needed and what the DC is.

The exception is social skills targeting a pc: I as a player can decide if you get to roll persuasion to make my character go along with a plan, and if I call for a roll I set the dc. (Most often it’s for deceptions- I’m suspicious of the rogue but I don’t want to spoil all their fun)

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Other. Player describes actions. If I am unclear on what's happening, I ask questions, specially focused on player intent. Only when it is clear that a player's intent requires a roll should a roll occur. Once it has occurred, Let It Ride: a result holds true until there is a significant change in situation, not just "you moved again so you must sneak again." As soon as the roll is done, back to discussing actions and looking for intent when I'm not clear on something.

Players have a voice in whether a roll is warranted or not, but in 99%+ of cases it should be obvious that something requires rolling. We communicate and build a serious, real consensus and then move on with our game.

 

[Minigiant]

1. Player describes action and intention
2. Player states ability and/or skill used
3. DM decides if ability ability and/or skill is applicable
4. DM decides if check is required
5. Player decides if they will continue

 

[Oofta]

They let the DM know what they're doing. Doesn't matter how as long as it's clear. Which can mean describing their action, naming a skill with or without a roll, etc.

There's never a need for any formal pattern.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah, we're very informal about it - whatever makes sense at the time. Sometimes I will impose a skill or ability check of some kind, sometimes the players will decide to make one on their own, sometimes I will veto the suggestion, sometimes the player will challenge my interpretation, or we'll negotiate what is possible. It all depends on context. Nobody sweats the details too much as long as it makes sense to everyone. DM has final say but doesn't abuse it.

 

[MarkB]

Pretty much any and all of these options, depending on the player, the DM and the circumstances.

 

[Deset Gled]

In all my years of gaming, I have never played an actual game where the distinction between actions and intentions is as binary as people discuss them being on internet message boards.

 

[overgeeked]

In all my years of gaming, I have never played an actual game where the distinction between actions and intentions is as binary as people discuss them being on internet message boards.

I’ve been at this almost 40 years and it comes up constantly. Typically when bad things happen to PCs. “I want to pick the lock” very quickly morphs into “I never said I actually pick the lock” once the referee assumes intentions equal actions and applies any consequences to the character based on the assumed action. Some players like to play word games as a shield against bad stuff happening to their PC. So either the player explicitly declares an action or their character doesn’t perform any actions. Having a clear idea of what they intended is really helpful to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

 

[Oofta]

I’ve been at this almost 40 years and it comes up constantly. Typically when bad things happen to PCs. “I want to pick the lock” very quickly morphs into “I never said I actually pick the lock” once the referee assumes intentions equal actions and applies any consequences to the character based on the assumed action. Some players like to play word games as a shield against bad stuff happening to their PC. So either the player explicitly declares an action or their character doesn’t perform any actions. Having a clear idea of what they intended is really helpful to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

That's a player issue, not a process issue. One I've never seen after playing with likely hundreds of people over the years.