Can you take-10 on ability checks?

[General Barron]

Really short question, which I'm sorry to ask. I suspect the answer is no, but I can't seem to find it in writing one way or the other.

 

[shilsen]

PHB pg.65 - "The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks."

 

[General Barron]

PHB pg.65 - "The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks."

Doh! Of course, they say that BEFORE they describe what an ability check is. Why wouldn't I think to look there?

The main reason I asked was because of knowledge skills. They are trained-only, yet it says that "an untrained knowledge check is simply an intelligence check". That makes me think... 'okay, why would it be classified as trained-only then, unless there is a difference between an untrained skill check and an ability check?' It then goes on to say that "without training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower)." But if you can just take 10, that means that you would automatically know everything DC 10 or lower... so what the heck is the INT check for?!?

Okay, I guess if you had an int penalty, then you might need to roll. But it seems it would make more sense if you always had to roll these checks, since it would make a clearer difference between an untrained skill check, and an ability check.

 

[Thanee]

Note, that you cannot Take 10 in every situation. So even with Int 10+ you might fail that check on some rare occurances.

Bye
Thanee

 

[General Barron]

Note, that you cannot Take 10 in every situation. So even with Int 10+ you might fail that check on some rare occurances.

Bye
Thanee

Err... okay, now this is making even less sense, although only with regards to knowledge skills. IIRC you can't take 10 if you are 'under pressure'. So let's say you are fighting a monster, and you want to recall some common knowledge about it, to better fight it. Okay, you are under pressure, so you have to roll. Makes sense--it can be hard to recall facts under pressure.

But if you fail, you cannot try again, per rules for knowledge checks. So because you couldn't recall that info under pressure, that means you don't know it at all? That makes no sense at all to me...

I suppose I'm just nit-picking on a technicality though. In other situations it would make sense to take 10 on an ability check.

 

[Thanee]

Noone said the rules have to make sense!

You are right, that in some cases it's a bit weird and best taken with a healthy dose of common sense.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Li Shenron]

PHB pg.65 - "The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks."

That doesn't tell me that I should allow Take 10 or Take 20 on every possible ability check. It tells me that if allow either, I can follow the same general rules as for skills.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I read the title of the thread and thought it was about taking minus ten.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Don't forget, the DM can adjucate a -2 circumstance penalty (or +2 circumstance bonus)

 

[Jdvn1]

I read the title of the thread and thought it was about taking minus ten.

I still read it that way and am confused.