Do you like rolling?

[Raven Crowking]

It should be noted that the Take 10 mechanic supplies the DM with an easy way to figure out the DCs to perform certain tasks, such as knocking a spider off the wall with an arrow. The spider can always Take 10 on its Climb check, has a Climb +X, so the DC is 10 + X.


RC

 

[Merkuri]

This thread reminded me of a funny real-world story...

My fiance had a job a few years ago in a warehouse. He was operating forklifts and had to change the battery on one of them. This involved driving the forklift up to the batteries docked against the wall and getting all of the connectors to line up, and for some reason he just couldn't get it lined up, so he was moving the forklift up to the wall, then backing it away, then moving it up to the wall again, slowly and repeatedly.

One of his coworkers comes along and asks "are you taking 20?"

My fiance is amused at the joke and pleasantly surprised, as he didn't know this guy played D&D, so he begins to talk to him about it. The guy is completely confused by this, however and doesn't seem to know what my fiance is talking about.

Then my fiance realizes that the battery he is trying to take is labeled #20.

 

[Ambrus]

My fiance is amused at the joke and pleasantly surprised, as he didn't know this guy played D&D, so he begins to talk to him about it. The guy is completely confused by this, however and doesn't seem to know what my fiance is talking about.

Reminds me of the time I was a party with friends and was joking around with one of them about earning XP for successfully opening an oddly tricky bottle of wine. My non-gamer girlfriend overhears us and tries to join in on our mirth by making some kind of computer jargon joke; she'd understood that we were making fun of Windows XP. When I clarified the matter she felt embarrassed for being such a computer nerd and we felt equally embarrassed for being such dorks.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Interesting. I'd always take the $10. What does this tell about me?

By itself, not very much (no more than any other similarly isolated fact in a hypothetical context).

This experiment establishes a baseline in that the expected reward for either choice is the same (i.e. a 50% chance of twice the money averages out over time). Taking the $10 is classified as a "risk-aversion strategy", which might suggest a similar approch to other aspects of life; a desire to avoid unnecessary risk. This is not necessarily a positive trait or a negative one, simply one type of personality. My choice, conversely, is reflective of the fact that I will have very high, even unachievable goals, and I consider these more important than the accompanying risks. Again, neither good nor bad from the psychology perspective.

In a real experiment, other conditions would be presented in which the numbers are more complex and not all choices have equal risks vs. benefits, and a more concrete preference for risk level in decision-making would emerge. Incidentally, in the case of rolling a d20, the roll has a slightly higher average than taking 10 so the choice isn't the same.

 

[Ambrus]

Taking the $10 is classified as a "risk-aversion strategy", which might suggest a similar approch to other aspects of life; a desire to avoid unnecessary risk.

Interesting. I would likewise opt for the $10. So it seems that my preference for taking 10 whenever possible is likewise symptomatic of my preferred risk-aversion strategy. I'd prefer a moderate success rather than run the risk of failure.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I would also take the $10, though I wouldn't guarantee 'no questions asked'.

Take 10 is unlike that 'dilemma' in the frist place, however, as 20 and 1 are not the only alternatives, and what's more, 20 (for example) won't do anything more for you than 10, assuming 10 will do it at all.

But anyway, back to real things, I never gamble. In fact, I have what can only be described as disdain for gambling. . . and for gamblers. That, or in some cases of the latter, pity/compassion. Depends.

In the case of gaming though, why not. I'll roll for just about anything! Nothing (and nobody) real is at stake then. And as for having high goals, I also tend to set those, so I don't really see the connection. A gamble is based on luck, whereas goals can be realised through skill, experience, knowledge, hard work, and so on.

*shrug* That's how it works in my head, anyhow.

 

[Garthanos]

I find the dice useful for things I cant decide upon.. ie In my take X option if the character is prone to "Taking his Time" that can express personality if the character is prone to "Taking Focus" that too can express their personality.
'
Do I always want to be making that decision?

 

[C.W.Richeson]

I like rolling less when there's a linear chance of success/failure, such as with a single die roll. With a bell curve my character's training tends to mean a lot more and I'm not at the mercy of chance in quite as bad of a way. I never did care for watching one highly skilled character fail and poor to moderately skilled character succeed due to odd rolls.

In the role of the GM, I don't really care for die rolling. I prefer set difficulty values to opposed rolls when possible.

 

[Woas]

I'm with Herschel on this. I'm a follower of the "Say yes or roll dice" camp so, if there is in the course of play a situation where it is trivial enough within the context of the situation for a player to have his or her character 'take 10' and assuredly succeed, then why bother... just say the character succeeds.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Agreed; rolling dice for the sake of rolling dice doesn't interest me. Now rolling dice for the sake of narration or tension ("Oh you rolled a 1 so it takes several minutes to push the sarcophagus lid off. And when it finally clangs to the floor.....there's a mummy inside!") is fine.

One could actually argue that all rolls, in-combat and out, are for the sake of narration. Everyone knows that the heroes are supposed to win, so rolling attacks and saves is just a way of narrating how they win.

But rolling for the sake of arbitrary limitations is annoying. I once had a DM, very good in many other ways, that would have us roll strength checks to open optional dungeon doors. I was playing a strong fighter at the time, and at one point I failed my check to open a door so he told me that I couldn't open it. Then a weaker character rolled, and successfully opened the door. And I was like "What the....?! If he can open it, so can I! That makes no sense!" I rolled with his call, 'cause I was taking a much needed break from DMing, but it got under my skin all the same.