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<blockquote data-quote="Warskull" data-source="post: 6462024" data-attributes="member: 6775133">Impossible ability checks should exist.&nbsp; If your team's barbarian proposes that he wants to lift a whole castle and throw it into ocean that would fall into the impossible category.The knowledge check you describe does not, it was just a poor DM call.&nbsp; Sure, the Elf has never been to the desert.&nbsp; However, maybe he could have read about it in a book, perhaps he can figure it out by comparing it to creatures he does know.&nbsp; &quot;Hey that's a spider, watch out many spiders are poisonous.&quot;&nbsp; Perhaps he heard stories from the locals during the downtime.&nbsp; There are plenty of ways to handle it.An impossible knowledge check would be a creature that is one of a kind and completely unique.&nbsp; No one has ever seen anything like it.&nbsp; Those should be pretty rare.&nbsp; Even then, I would think absurdly difficult would be a better choice.Telling your players &quot;you can't do that&quot; just isn't fun.&nbsp; Unless what they are attempting is utterly ridiculous you should let them roll.&nbsp; Heck, even it if it impossible, let them roll.&nbsp; When that rogue says he is going to jump a 50ft wall in a single leap with only his natural ability, let him roll.&nbsp; Give him an &quot;are you sure&quot;, then after he rolls that natural 20 describe to him how he performs a world championship level leap, gracefully flying through the air, and face-planting into the wall at the 15 ft mark.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Warskull, post: 6462024, member: 6775133"] Impossible ability checks should exist. If your team's barbarian proposes that he wants to lift a whole castle and throw it into ocean that would fall into the impossible category. The knowledge check you describe does not, it was just a poor DM call. Sure, the Elf has never been to the desert. However, maybe he could have read about it in a book, perhaps he can figure it out by comparing it to creatures he does know. "Hey that's a spider, watch out many spiders are poisonous." Perhaps he heard stories from the locals during the downtime. There are plenty of ways to handle it. An impossible knowledge check would be a creature that is one of a kind and completely unique. No one has ever seen anything like it. Those should be pretty rare. Even then, I would think absurdly difficult would be a better choice. Telling your players "you can't do that" just isn't fun. Unless what they are attempting is utterly ridiculous you should let them roll. Heck, even it if it impossible, let them roll. When that rogue says he is going to jump a 50ft wall in a single leap with only his natural ability, let him roll. Give him an "are you sure", then after he rolls that natural 20 describe to him how he performs a world championship level leap, gracefully flying through the air, and face-planting into the wall at the 15 ft mark. [/QUOTE]

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