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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Attacking defenseless NPCs
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<blockquote data-quote="The Crimson Binome" data-source="post: 7626897" data-attributes="member: 6775031"><p>But how do you determine whether the outcome seems uncertain, if you don't even know which underlying mechanics apply? Do you just blindly guess? Do you use out-of-game knowledge?</p><p></p><p>If possessing 30hp is not criteria which proves a character is immune to being dropped from an attack for (1d8+5) damage, then what is the criteria? More importantly, how are the players supposed to know what criteria you're using, if you aren't using the criteria in the book? </p><p>Trivial examples resolve trivially at the table. I would adjudicate walking across an empty room is a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check at DC -2, so the outcome is certain unless your Dexterity modifier is worse than -3; and the only reason to roll, outside of combat, is to figure out whether you briefly stumble and look clumsy. In the vast majority of cases, it doesn't take me any longer to resolve with my method than it does with yours. The difference is that I'm actually using the rules in the book, instead of avoiding them.</p><p>My way is the same as yours. I look at the approach, and make a judgment call as to the DC. If the DC is 15, then anyone with a bonus between -5 and +13 has to make a Strength (Athletics) check, with failure indicating a fall. If your bonus is worse than -5, or greater than +13, then the outcome is definitionally certain and no roll is necessary.</p><p></p><p>If you're bad at math, or at tracking numbers, then feel free to put the "burden" back onto the players - tell them that the DC is 15, and let <em>them</em> figure out whether or not they need to roll.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Crimson Binome, post: 7626897, member: 6775031"] But how do you determine whether the outcome seems uncertain, if you don't even know which underlying mechanics apply? Do you just blindly guess? Do you use out-of-game knowledge? If possessing 30hp is not criteria which proves a character is immune to being dropped from an attack for (1d8+5) damage, then what is the criteria? More importantly, how are the players supposed to know what criteria you're using, if you aren't using the criteria in the book? Trivial examples resolve trivially at the table. I would adjudicate walking across an empty room is a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check at DC -2, so the outcome is certain unless your Dexterity modifier is worse than -3; and the only reason to roll, outside of combat, is to figure out whether you briefly stumble and look clumsy. In the vast majority of cases, it doesn't take me any longer to resolve with my method than it does with yours. The difference is that I'm actually using the rules in the book, instead of avoiding them. My way is the same as yours. I look at the approach, and make a judgment call as to the DC. If the DC is 15, then anyone with a bonus between -5 and +13 has to make a Strength (Athletics) check, with failure indicating a fall. If your bonus is worse than -5, or greater than +13, then the outcome is definitionally certain and no roll is necessary. If you're bad at math, or at tracking numbers, then feel free to put the "burden" back onto the players - tell them that the DC is 15, and let [I]them[/I] figure out whether or not they need to roll. [/QUOTE]
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