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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Forester" data-source="post: 8740085" data-attributes="member: 7025077">Playtesting….We have never done critical success/fail with ability rolls. But, DMing today, I said we would.PCs have been carrying around this locked metal chest since they were level 3 (they are now level 5 – and one at 6). It is DC25 to open. The only one with proficiency with thieves’ tools has it from their background – no expertise and 2x proficiency bonus – so it is impossible for them to open.I expected them to take it to their local friendly locksmith, or to swap a spell out for a knock spell – or even just buy a knock spell scroll (such things are easy to buy in my game). But no … they just talked about the impossible-to-open chest and the wonders it might contain.However… explaining today that a natural 20 could do it – oh, the excitement! I do have a house rule that you can try to do something like this for three times, and if you fail each time, on the third failed attempt then something will go wrong … in this case, the thieves’ tools will break. That is that particular set of thieves’ tools, only. But, as the thieving bit is in this particular PC’s background only (and sort of stepped away from), they don’t have easy access to buying more thieves’ tools….However, after ransacking a werewolves’ lair, they now have three sets of thieves’ tools. And have decided to try each set twice over – six times in total – in that hope a nat 20 will be rolled. Nice loophole for sure – but I love their excitement and hope.(Despite me saying a 1 will be automatic breakage of the thieves’ tools.)We stopped before this was tried. Good thing: I need to review what is in that metal chest (so long ago, I can’t remember without reading my notes). Whatever it is would have been wonderful for level 3, but I’m not sure it is wonderful now. And after all the excitement, I would like it to be.I was initially negative about crits and fails for ability rolls, and only introduced it for the sake of playtesting. I did not expect it to be so well-received….</blockquote>

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