D&D 5E How to skill check (and why 5e got stealth wrong)

[FrogReaver]

Or just try again until you get it.

Auto Fail comes to mind

 

[Charlaquin]

I liked the method he described using encounters, not random encounters, but randomly timed encounters. I could get behind that.

*she, but I’m glad you liked the suggestion.

 

[FrogReaver]

@Beleriphon

Perhaps to a better way to handle such example situations is to roleplay them out as I fee a lot is being missed by me giving my take.

So, maybe we should start here:

You are sneaking up to an orc encampment. Make a stealth check vs DC 20. Result 19. You've just passed into the clearing to approach it's outer edge when an orc spots you and you notice that he has spotted you. What do you do? (or if you need any additional information just ask).

 

[FrogReaver]

*she, but I’m glad you liked the suggestion.

My apologies. I call everyone a he online out of habit.

 

[ad_hoc]

Auto Fail comes to mind

Then why make the check in the first place?

Just tell the PC they can't pick the lock. Don't have them roll for something they can't do.

 

[FrogReaver]

Then why make the check in the first place?

Just tell the PC they can't pick the lock. Don't have them roll for something they can't do.

They very much could have picked the lock. Once they rolled and failed, that lock was revealed to be unpickable.

But if they had succeeded they would have picked the lock, thus revealing it to be a pickable lock.

Call it schrodingers lock if you will

 

[Charlaquin]

My apologies. I call everyone a he online out of habit.

No worries, most people do and I’m not bothered by it.

 

[Beleriphon]

@Beleriphon

Perhaps to a better way to handle such example situations is to roleplay them out as I fee a lot is being missed by me giving my take.

So, maybe we should start here:

You are sneaking up to an orc encampment. Make a stealth check vs DC 20. Result 19. You've just passed into the clearing to approach it's outer edge when an orc spots you and you notice that he has spotted you. What do you do? (or if you need any additional information just ask).

Lets assume I want to attack said orc. If we go with that lets assume we run a short combat, I win the orc is dead. Yay me. I would like to continue my attempt to sneak into the camp. Based on how you see the resolution going, what's the next step?

 

[FrogReaver]

Lets assume I want to attack said orc. If we go with that lets assume we run a short combat, I win the orc is dead. Yay me. I would like to continue my attempt to sneak into the camp. Based on how you see the resolution going, what's the next step?

Whoa, don't jump ahead of yourself. You want to attack said orc. That's fine. We will roll initiative. You win and attack the orc. Your first attack hits and injures the orc but fails to kill him (a very likely scenario). The orc instead of firing back, ducks behind the wall of the watchtower and starts shouting, alerting orcs in the other towers and possibly on the ground that something is going on, but at least he's pinned down and not sounded the actual alarm yet.

What do you do?

 

[FrogReaver]

A level 1-3 rogue has an extremely low chance of killing an orc before the orc gets to act once.