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<blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8427316" data-attributes="member: 16814">I find this to be the interesting question -- where do you put the DC if you're writing a module?&nbsp; If you're following the 5e advice on DCs, you shouldn't be putting them in the adventure at all, but that's not what's expected, so... what do you do?I say you shouldn't be putting them in at all because DCs are supposed to be decided by the GM based on what's being attempted and the current situation.&nbsp; I mean, if you have to climb a cliff, what's the DC?&nbsp; Depends.&nbsp; If the GM describes it a craggy, with handholds, that sounds fairly easy -- so is DC 10 right for this cliff?&nbsp; Maybe.&nbsp; If the PC says, &quot;pshaw, that's not a challenge, I'm going to run up the cliff with my hands tied behand my back while blindfolded!&quot;&nbsp; Maybe that needs a different DC.&nbsp; Yes, that example is hyperbole, but it's an extreme end and we can work back towards the middle and find situations where maybe the DC should change.&nbsp; Let's say character A is perfectly fine, and attempts the cliff in a straightforward manner, the DC should remain a 10.&nbsp; But let's say character B is missing an arm (recent encounter with a vorpol sword, maybe).&nbsp; Should the DC change, or is this the realm of disadvantage?&nbsp; Both answers are fine.&nbsp; The DC doesn't belong to the cliff, it belong to the action.&nbsp; A given situation in an adventure may be engaged from many different ways during play, and a fixed DC belonging to the task is not suitable for all of them.But... when players buy an adventure, setting DCs is probably something they expect!&nbsp; I mean, it's been that way for multiple editions now (including Pathfinder).&nbsp; So, if I put in my adventure &quot;the GM should assign DCs for their tables as warranted&quot; and then just provide descriptions, then I'm probably going to be howled at by any customers.&nbsp; So, despite what the game actually suggests for DC, I'm going to assign fixed DCs to tasks, because this is what's expected.And that leads here, to this discussion, where there's confusion as to how to calibrate these DCs.&nbsp; It appears as if this is a failure of the rules, in a way, yes?&nbsp; Because such things should be there.&nbsp; But, they aren't, because the rules don't really contemplate fixed DCs assigned to tasks, like climbing this cliff.&nbsp; But, adventures have a different set of expectations that don't align, and, besides, we're all used to setting fixed DCs for things.&nbsp; But it does mean that the rules are incoherent when we try to figure out how fixed DCs are to be calibrated.&nbsp; So, then, the answer is... don't know, don't care.&nbsp; I ignore the DCs in the adventures when I run them, so calibrate any way you want.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ovinomancer, post: 8427316, member: 16814"] I find this to be the interesting question -- where do you put the DC if you're writing a module? If you're following the 5e advice on DCs, you shouldn't be putting them in the adventure at all, but that's not what's expected, so... what do you do? I say you shouldn't be putting them in at all because DCs are supposed to be decided by the GM based on what's being attempted and the current situation. I mean, if you have to climb a cliff, what's the DC? Depends. If the GM describes it a craggy, with handholds, that sounds fairly easy -- so is DC 10 right for this cliff? Maybe. If the PC says, "pshaw, that's not a challenge, I'm going to run up the cliff with my hands tied behand my back while blindfolded!" Maybe that needs a different DC. Yes, that example is hyperbole, but it's an extreme end and we can work back towards the middle and find situations where maybe the DC should change. Let's say character A is perfectly fine, and attempts the cliff in a straightforward manner, the DC should remain a 10. But let's say character B is missing an arm (recent encounter with a vorpol sword, maybe). Should the DC change, or is this the realm of disadvantage? Both answers are fine. The DC doesn't belong to the cliff, it belong to the action. A given situation in an adventure may be engaged from many different ways during play, and a fixed DC belonging to the task is not suitable for all of them. But... when players buy an adventure, setting DCs is probably something they expect! I mean, it's been that way for multiple editions now (including Pathfinder). So, if I put in my adventure "the GM should assign DCs for their tables as warranted" and then just provide descriptions, then I'm probably going to be howled at by any customers. So, despite what the game actually suggests for DC, I'm going to assign fixed DCs to tasks, because this is what's expected. And that leads here, to this discussion, where there's confusion as to how to calibrate these DCs. It appears as if this is a failure of the rules, in a way, yes? Because such things should be there. But, they aren't, because the rules don't really contemplate fixed DCs assigned to tasks, like climbing [I]this[/I] cliff. But, adventures have a different set of expectations that don't align, and, besides, we're all used to setting fixed DCs for things. But it does mean that the rules are incoherent when we try to figure out how fixed DCs are to be calibrated. So, then, the answer is... don't know, don't care. I ignore the DCs in the adventures when I run them, so calibrate any way you want. [/QUOTE]

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