Table 2–5: Difficulty Class Examples
DC Example Roll (Key Ability) Who Could Do It
–10 Hear the sounds of a pitched battle Listen (Wis) A commoner on the other side of a stone wall
0 Track ten hill giants across a muddy field Search (Int) The village fool hustling at full speed at night
5 Climb a knotted rope Climb (Str) An average human carrying a 75-pound pack
5 Hear people talking on the other side of a door Listen (Wis) An absent-minded sage being distracted by allies
10 Run or charge down steep stairs Balance (Dex) A 1st-level rogue
10 Follow tracks of fifteen orcs across firm ground Search (Int) A 1st-level commoner
10 Ransack a chest full of junk to find a map Search (Int) A 1st-level commoner
10 Tie a firm knot Use Rope (Dex) A 1st-level commoner
10 Find out the current gossip Gather Information (Cha) A 1st-level commoner
11* Avoid being tripped by a wolf — (Str or Dex) A 1st-level commoner
12 Assess the value of a silver necklace Appraise (Int) A 1st-level rogue
13+ Resist the command spell Will save (Wis) A 1st-level wizard or a low-level fighter
13 Bash open a simple wooden door — (Str) A fighter
15 Make a dying friend stable Heal (Wis) A 1st-level cleric
15 Make indifferent people friendly Diplomacy (Cha) A 1st-level paladin
15 Jump 10 feet (with a running start) Jump (Str) A 1st-level fighter
15 Tumble past a foe Tumble (Dex) A low-level monk
15* Get a minor lie past a canny guard Bluff (Cha) A 1st-level rogue
16 Identify a 1st-level spell as it is being cast Spellcraft (Int) A wizard (but not anyone untrained in spells)
17* Resist a 10th-level vampire’s dominating gaze Will save (Wis) A low-level monk or a high-level fighter
18 Bash open a strong wooden door — (Str) An enraged half-orc barbarian
18 Cast fireball while being shot with an arrow Concentration (Con) A low-level wizard
20 Notice a typical secret door Search (Int) A smart, 1st-level half-elf rogue
20 Notice a scrying sensor — (Int) A low-level wizard with Int 12 or higher
20 Notice an invisible creature moving nearby Spot (Wis) A low-level ranger
20 Pick a very simple lock Open Lock (Dex) A dexterous, 1st-level halfling rogue (but not anyone untrained at picking locks)
20 Find out what sorts of crimes the baron’s Gather Information (Cha) A low-level bard daughter has gotten away with
20 Avoid falling into a pit trap Reflex save (Dex) A mid-level rogue or a high-level paladin
20 Walk a tightrope Balance (Dex) A low-level rogue
21 Raise a dire wolf cub Handle Animal (Cha) A mid-level ranger
21* Sneak quietly past a hellcat 50 feet away Move Silently (Dex) A low-level rogue
22* Escape from an owlbear’s clutches Escape Artist (Dex) A low-level rogue
23* Grab a guard’s spear and wrest it out of his hands Melee attack (Str) A mid-level fighter
24 Resist the wail of the banshee spell Fortitude save (Con) A high-level fighter
24*+ Shoot an armored guard through an arrow slit Ranged attack (Dex) A high-level fighter
25 Notice that something’s wrong with a friend Sense Motive (Wis) A mid-level rogue who’s under a vampire’s control
25 Persuade the dragon that has captured you Diplomacy (Cha) A high-level bard that it would be a good idea to let you go
25 Find out from a city’s inhabitants who the Gather Information (Cha) A high-level bard power behind the throne is
26 Jump over an orc’s head (with a running start) Jump (Str) A 20th-level ranger wearing light armor or a mid-level
barbarian wearing light armor (who really only needs
a 22 because his speed is higher)
28 Disable a glyph of warding Disable Device (Int) A high-level rogue (but not anyone of another class)
30 Notice a well-hidden secret door Search (Int) A high-level rogue
28 Bash open an iron door — (Str) A fire giant
29 Calm a hostile owlbear Wild empathy (Cha) A high-level druid (and only a druid or ranger)
30 Hurriedly climb a slick brick wall Climb (Str) A high-level barbarian
30 Read a letter written in ancient Draconic Decipher Script (Int) A high-level wizard
30 Pick a good lock Open Lock (Dex) A high-level rogue
43 Track a goblin that passed over hard rocks a week ago,
and it snowed yesterday, Survival (Wis) A
20th-level ranger who has maxed out his Survival skill and has been fighting goblinoids as his favored enemy since 1st level
* This number is actually the average roll on the opponent’s opposed check rather than a fixed number.
+ 2 Actual DC may be higher or lower depending on the caster or ability user.
*+ This is the target’s adjusted Armor Class.
DC: The number a character needs to roll to succeed.
Example: An example of a task with that DC.
Roll (Key Ability): The roll the character makes, usually a skill checkbut sometimes a saving throw, an ability check, or even an attack roll. The ability that modifies the roll is in parentheses. A “—” in this column means that the check is an ability check and no skill ranks, base save bonuses, or base attack bonuses apply.
Who Could Do It: An example of a character that would have about a 50% chance to succeed. When this entry names a character by class, it assumes that the character has the skill in question. (Othercharacters might have a better or worse chance to succeed.
Then edge cases could add or subtract
these two on top.