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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8367322" data-attributes="member: 82106">I somewhat agree with you that the long lists of 'objective' DCs often don't work as well as simply setting a DC based on the fiction, which always has an associated level! So, then you simply go to the chart. This was my point about my own game design. It is just more explicit, EVERYTHING has a level, and any check associated with that thing has a DC set by the association of levels to DCs. Obviously there can be a lot of shades in there, the woods around the town are Level 1, but maybe the Forest of Grinn is more like level 10. Fifth level PCs go in there, and they have it pretty tough, but they can manage, at least at whichever skills they are reasonably good at. The general point that 4e PCs who don't invest in a skill (IE it is not a proficiency and not tied to a primary/secondary ability score) has some merit. OTOH there WILL be easy checks now and then, and there WILL be times when the fiction constrains the opportunity to make that check to a given PC, so they just have to go for it. In REALITY, most PCs skill bonuses fall into 1 of three bins, the dump skills they can only pass easy checks on, the medium skills, and the focused skills. Medium skills are ones where the character has a good ability score, but not proficiency, or vice versa. They may also have some other sorts of bonuses that elevate a skill into that category (race, class, feat, etc.). The focused skills obviously combine a high ability score with proficiency, and usually at least some other bonuses.So, most 4e PCs, at whatever level, can often or sometimes pass easy checks, maybe some medium checks at lower levels with a weak skill. At very high levels the very weakest skills become mostly useless, though you never know, you might encounter some unusually easy challenge (which is just hard for you)! OTOH the medium skills don't go down the tubes to anything like that degree. A few of the weaker ones might get pretty lame, but others will either become strong or at least allow for many checks to be passed, though possibly only with luck.And remember, there's nothing wrong with a level 30 hard check to be pretty much impossible unless you're the guy who's whole career was spent focusing on that. This makes perfectly good sense! ONLY the Thief of Ages can steal the breathe from The Great Dragon, nobody else ever need apply for that job. OTOH the Ranger can probably get to the Dragon's lair without being spotted, probably.</blockquote>

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