James Gasik
We don't talk about Pun-Pun
PC's move in your combats? In mine they just belly up to enemies and keep swinging until they die, lol. I have to actually force them to move, because they're terrified of opportunity attacks. I actually remember something that happened earlier this year. The Ranger player in my game had run up to an enemy healer thinking they could "pin them down". In response I had the healer Withdraw and move away.Let me start with what I said before. Each skill check is unique, and therefore, might not follow the same logic. But...
I would argue the bolded above is not true. Combat is dynamic. After missing your attack, there are other PCs attacking, there are possible NPCs attacking, there are also creatures attacking. On top of that, in most combats targets and PCs are moving. And in some combats, environments move or shift. Then there is the fact that the target might lose hp, get hurt, gain a condition, etc. All of that is very different from trying to break a door that does not move and made of the same material. (Not sure the door example is a good one, as most in here already said they allow multiple attempts.)
"I get an opportunity attack!"
"Uh, no, he used the Withdraw action to move away so you don't get one."
"...what?! Since when can you do that?"
Plus, what about multiple attacks in the same turn? What changes between Fighter going attack action, melee attack, melee attack, bonus action attack?
Sure I know that what's supposed to be happening is all these actions in a turn are taking place at the same time, but that's not really described or supported by the rules. If I take down an opponent before his turn, he doesn't get a turn, even though "supposedly" his turn is happening simultaneously, lol.
The analogy here is this: the DM that demands a circumstance change when dealing with a shut door (such as getting an impromptu crowbar or be targeted by an Enhance Ability spell) should also be asking for a player who misses with an attack to switch weapons or something. But nobody does that (at least that I know of).
If a roll of a d20 is the "best you can do in the situation" in one circumstance, why isn't that universal? Why are ability checks held to this higher standard? Why do we gate ability checks? My Wizard can pick up a Rapier and swing it. He won't get his PB, but that's all.
But if the party Barbarian wants to make an Arcana check, a lot of DM's will demand he be proficient in Arcana, despite the fact that it's the same thing, all he gets from that proficiency is his PB on the roll.