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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tetrasodium" data-source="post: 9368822" data-attributes="member: 93670">Well You are partly correct, by RAW it doesn't even seem to support the GM being able to declare something impossible. [spoiler="phb174 - 'Ability Checks'"]Ability ChecksAn ability check tests a character’s or monster’s innate talent and training in an effort to overcome a challenge. The DM calls for an ability check when a character or monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. W hen the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.For every ability check, the DM decides which of the six abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of the task, represented by a Difficulty Class. The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical Difficulty Classes table show s the most com m on DCs.T y p i c a l D i f f i c u l t y C l a s s e sTask Difficulty DCVery easy 5Easy 10Medium 15Hard 20Very hard 25Nearly impossible 30To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and penalties, and com pare the total to the DC. If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success—the creature overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it’s a failure, which means the character or monster makes no progress toward the objective or makes progress combined with a setback determined by the DM.[/spoiler] You seem to be suggesting that if the PCs are not guaranteed success that they are being subjected to "railroading".  In <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/escaping-from-rope-bonds-what-is-your-ruling.704634/post-9368806" target="_blank">post 29</a> I described some hurdles the party would need to overcome in order to deal with the problem of being tied up (presumably in a dungeon or similar).  How the players handle those problems or if they choose to just wait until the next phase of their capture is up to them, that's the opposite of "railroading"</blockquote>

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