Hang Ten!

[Water Bob]

If you remember the expression "Hang Ten", then you're either a surfer or as old as I am.

This thread is about Taking Ten, though. I'm developing a love/hate relationship with the game rule.

A lot of times, I love Take 10. It's a brilliant concept that encourages smooth game play.

Other times I find it getting in the way.

Let's talk about it.





Do you use Take 10? Do you like it? How do you use it?

Besides what's written in the book (that you can't use Take 10 in a dangerous situation), how do you decide to Take 10 and when to roll a skill check?





For example, in one of my game's supplemental books, there's a rule for sleeping in the wilderness. If you don't make the check, you wake up fatigued as if you had slept in armor.

There are various ways to over come this penalty. Making shelters will get you a bonus on the check. So will the Endurance Feat. The same for having 5 ranks in Survival (the check is a Fortitude Save). Things like having the right equipment (bedrolls, fire) gets you bonuses and things like adverse weather will get you penalties.

The problem is that the entire section might as well not be there, except for a very few characters, because Taking 10 will beat many of the save DCs except in extreme conditions.

In other words, Taking 10 wipes out the entire rule. Taking 10 makes the rule no longer something to use.

Would you consider this a threatening situation, barring the use of Take 10...because a character might wake up after sleeping on a root all night, with a crimp in his neck?

But, if you allow Taking 10, then the entire rule is moot 90% of the time, with most characters.

So, what, as a GM, do you do? Do you allow the Take 10 or not? And, why?

 

[Loonook]

For example, in one of my game's supplemental books, there's a rule for sleeping in the wilderness. If you don't make the check, you wake up fatigued as if you had slept in armor.

There are various ways to over come this penalty. Making shelters will get you a bonus on the check. So will the Endurance Feat. The same for having 5 ranks in Survival (the check is a Fortitude Save). Things like having the right equipment (bedrolls, fire) gets you bonuses and things like adverse weather will get you penalties.

The problem is that the entire section might as well not be there, except for a very few characters, because Taking 10 will beat many of the save DCs except in extreme conditions.

Can't take 10 on a Fort save. Only skill checks.

Done.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Water Bob]

Can't take 10 on a Fort save. Only skill checks.

Done.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Ohhh.....you're a smart man.

Chalk that one up to still learning the system and making mistakes.

But, still, if you disregard the bad example in the OP, the question is valid--that is when to use and not to use Take 10, when its legal to do so.

 

[Omegaxicor]

I recall in the PHB that you can't use it when you're rushed or threatened, without specific feats and you can't use it when there is no advantage in getting 20, if you can't have critical success then you can't use it (although I usually add a critical success to all skill rolls)

 

[Loonook]

Ohhh.....you're a smart man.

Chalk that one up to still learning the system and making mistakes.

But, still, if you disregard the bad example in the OP, the question is valid--that is when to use and not to use Take 10, when its legal to do so.

Taking 10
When your character is not being threatened or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure —you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10). Taking 10 is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn’t help.

Seems pretty clear. Anything that would be considered a distraction (being involved in combat, whiny henchmen asking "Are you done yet?!?!") or threatened prevent it.

For example, if you decided to pick a lock surrounded by friendly warriors who don't want the lock opened? You may have an argument on either side... But honestly I'd saying doing an action where the outcome may cause you to become threatened wouldn't allow you to take 10. The only skill that expressly prevents taking 10 in D&D 3.x would be Use Magic Device. Pathfinder I believe relieves this for Bards and their version of the Artificer... But other than that?

Think about it like this with Open Locks. A rogue knows something that, almost like Sex Panther, works all the time 50% of the time. He puts his locks in, grimaces in concentration, Fonzies the door... And it works.

Of course if he is threatened he is going to have a bit of the nerves. He needs to focus his will, remember his training, take a deep breath, and dodge the guys who want to feather him. That is way too much pressure, unless you have skill mastery... Then you just crack open a Rogue 45 and act as the epitome of cool.

This is a rough representation of Skill Master Rogue's pillow.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[kitcik]

[MENTION=92305]Water Bob[/MENTION]

given this was your thread, I was SURE it was about roleplaying setting up a tent when camping. What skill to use for hammering in the tent posts? What skill to prevent tearing the canvas?

so disappointing...

Now those things you could take 10 on, unless of course there was a bear nearby.

Would they all be part of Survival? Seems like a pretty broad skill.