Autosuccess tweak

[dammitbiscuit]

So the rules make you succeed automatically if your ability score is 5 over the DC. Often, the GM calls for a check or the player rolls a die instinctively before they realize the check is going to be an auto-success regardless.

With a minor tweak, you can "keep" that die result as well as make auto-wins more interesting. When you auto-succeed, your d20 roll determines the degree of success.

• On a 1-6, you barely squeak by and end up looking a little foolish, becoming fatigued, or other minor temporary penalties. PCs and NPCs get a little chuckle at your expense, but you get what you wanted.
• On a 7-12, you "pass". It's good enough, you get the job done, nothing exceptional happens. Similar to a normal successful roll.
• On a 13-18, you rock it! You look good. You crack a joke, earn a new friend/admirer, or flourish and bow at the end. PCs and NPCs are impressed and take note of you.
• On a 19-20, you "critically" succeed. If this was a contested roll, your opponent can't try again, they'll lose. If this was an obstacle or hazard, it no longer poses a threat to you. If this was part of a series of checks, you have Advantage on your next two checks. If the result of your check is a reward of some kind, double it. Et cetera. If you want to and your GM is a cool dude, you can narrate the result of your check instead of the GM.

People like rolling dice - for some people, being told that they auto-succeed is almost a disappointment as they realize that they need to put their dice down, or the roll they just made didn't actually matter. This way, auto-success still happens, but you still get to roll dice and potentially look like a badass.

 

[Frostmarrow]

You are right. By the same token combat is a reward, not a punishment.
I think your table is redundant. Just say auto-success roll of up to 19 is successful and 20+ is flawlessly executed.

 

[dammitbiscuit]

Yes, the fluffy parts are completely unnecessary, of course. I like game rules that imply or create narration and roleplay.

 

[Szatany]

I like the general idea, but not the implementation. I'd rather see a system that's more ingrained into entire game. Probably with a module. A system in which for every d20 roll you make you also make a d6 or d10 roll that determines the degree of success (if you succeed) or of failure (if you fail). D&D actually always had a variation of this idea, in form of damage dice. With attack rolls, you always rolled d20 to see if you fail/succeed, and also a dx die to see how much you succeeded or failed.
Why not expand this mechanic to other aspects of the game, but of course keep it general enough so it can be ignored if unnecessary at a given situation.