D&D (2024) Auto-succeed/fail on ability checks

[Cadence]

I think it clears up a part of 5e that was intended from the beginning, but a lot of people misunderstood. You don't roll if your bonus isn't high enough to succeed and if you would automatically succeed even if you rolled a natural 1, you didn't need to roll in the first place.

Clearly it has lead to some confusion, but it's logical to not call for a d20 Test unless there's a chance of both success and failure.

I wonder about the interaction with letting everyone at the table try vs. just some, and how that plays out at different tables.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I think it clears up a part of 5e that was intended from the beginning, but a lot of people misunderstood. You don't roll if your bonus isn't high enough to succeed and if you would automatically succeed even if you rolled a natural 1, you didn't need to roll in the first place.

Clearly it has lead to some confusion, but it's logical to not call for a d20 Test unless there's a chance of both success and failure.

It literally doesn't say anything of the sort.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It has changed. Now anything possible for someone is possible for anyone.

Not true. They don't get to roll unless their bonuses allow them to succeed. You have no chance of getting a natural 20 if you don't get to roll in the first place.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It literally doesn't say anything of the sort.

The 5e DMG says to not allow a d20 Test unless it's within the realm of possibility for the character to succeed (i.e. no shooting the Moon with your longbow). The playtest document says that the DM determines if the d20 Test is warranted and tells the player to roll. "Warranted" means that it's possible to both succeed and fail in the circumstance. If both aren't possible, no roll is made.

 

[Smackpixi]

Not true. They don't get to roll unless their bonuses allow them to succeed. You have no chance of getting a natural 20 if you don't get to roll in the first place.

Sure, you can play that way, but that’s not the spirit of the new rule imho.

 

[Cadence]

The conversation has me confused, so went to look up again what changed.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The 5e DMG says to not allow a d20 Test unless it's within the realm of possibility for the character to succeed (i.e. no shooting the Moon with your longbow). The playtest document says that the DM determines if the d20 Test is warranted and tells the player to roll. "Warranted" means that it's possible to both succeed and fail in the circumstance. If both aren't possible, no roll is made.

You think they wrote a rule that does nothing in order to confuse people? This is a change in the rules. Now 20 always succeeds, so indeed any character has a chance to succeed at any task.

 

[Smackpixi]

You think they wrote a rule that does nothing in order to confuse people? This is a change in the rules. Now 20 always succeeds, so indeed any character has a chance to succeed at any task.

No, any character has a chance to succeed at possible tasks. Impossible things are still impossible. Pretty big difference.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

You think they wrote a rule that does nothing in order to confuse people? This is a change in the rules. Now 20 always succeeds, so indeed any character has a chance to succeed at any task.

I think they tried to clarify a rule they thought was in the game from the beginning, but it led to a bunch of confusion because people played it differently.

A 20 always succeeds, but you don't always get to roll when you attempt to do something. You don't roll to shoot the moon. The DM tells you you fail without calling for a roll. That hasn't changed.

 

[Cadence]

No, any character has a chance to succeed at possible tasks. Impossible things are still impossible. Pretty big difference.

Impossible for who?

If folks who couldn't succeed on 20 before don't get the roll, then the new rule is pointless, isn't it?