Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Paraxis" data-source="post: 6425508" data-attributes="member: 13009">Working on building some optimized character ideas for the non combat pillars of the game, exploration and social I started looking at the math of advantage and guidance adding to checks.The difficulty guidelines are given as.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Very Easy - 5</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Easy - 10</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Medium - 15</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hard - 20</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Very Hard - 25</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nearly Impossible - 30</li> </ul>Seems straight forward but how hard is hard?  Honestly not very.With a +3 ability score modifier, +2 proficiency bonus, someone using the help action, and the guidance cantrip that can be used pretty freely at-will in non combat situations the math is 66.63% chance of hitting that Hard DC of 20.  That is at first level and having just a 16 in the related ability.Here is the link to Anydice if you want to see the other percentages and play around with the modifiers.<a href="http://anydice.com/program/4b08" target="_blank">http://anydice.com/program/4b08</a>Getting advantage is as easy as another PC just saying they are helping you as long as they are proficient in the same skill.Guidance is one of the best cantrips in the game, clerics and druids get it, bards can use magic secrets to get access to it, anyone that takes the magic initiate feat can get it, someone in your party should have this spell.Just thinking on this and the help action seems like a great thing to be doing while exploring or scouting to boost the best persons passive perception up, since advantage equals a +5 bonus to passive checks this means most groups should always do this.  A character with the perception proficiency and 16 wisdom already has a 15 so that means you can help them to have a passive perception of 20 and spot all those hard to see traps and ambushes.So how easy are skill checks?  I am thinking very easy.EDIT: wanted to add in the extreme of skill checks that I can find and fixed a comment about the help action.17th level lore bard with +5 ability mod, +12 from expertise, advantage, +1d4 guidance, +1d12 from bardic inspiration.hits a DC 25 99.46% of the time, DC 30 94.72%, DC 35 80.71%, DC 40 54.46%, DC 45 23.33%, DC 50 3.91%.17th level bard with a +0 ability mod, +3 from jack of all trades, advantage, +1d4 guidance, +1d12 bard inspiration.hits a DC 20 84.46%, DC 25 60.71%, DC 30 28.89%, DC 35 6.54%Sure thats a very high level character but with no proficiency and no ability mod using his class abilities, and spells to succeed 28.89% of the time on nearly impossible tasks.</blockquote>

Verification