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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 9864647" data-attributes="member: 3400">I don't think linear systems are any more prone to over-relying on random chance than non-linear ones - if you're using a random generator, you're using a random generator. Whether they produce a lot of failed results or not (or crits, fumbles, or successes) depends on the target numbers being set, not the fact that a random generator is involved.The stochastic element provided by the random generator (whether dice, cards, counting birds flying by the window in a 2 minute period, etc) is there to bring in the element of unknown and possibly complex factors that we can't model that make the difference between succeeding and failing at some task. And maybe a lot of games DO rely on such rolls too much and should back off and only go to them when the situation actually needs them to resolve uncertainty when there are notable consequences. 5e is written to promote that sort of GMing and I think it's a good suggestion. Over-reliance on rolling for everything does tend to frustrate by dragging out the game and pacing or saddling PCs with failures when skills are mid and target results set too difficult.Part of the problem here may be one of context. Yes, a more skilled person may be a lot faster at reliably completing a task than someone with less skill. So what does failure mean? Perhaps it just means that the lower skilled PC didn't have enough time to accomplish the task given the time constraint and the failure result (or increased chance of failure) means a higher chance of a result that isn't helpful or is of unacceptable quality to accomplish what needed to be accomplished. For something like picking a lock, 70% vs 50% means the first PC is likely to succeed at it in fewer attempts (or minutes of picking at the lock mechanism) than the latter. For an artisan, a 70% vs 50% to forge some daggers means they are more likely to have the order ready on time than the latter smith.But in both cases, if we're limited to situations where success is uncertain because there's a particular time constraint, the setting is distracting (like combat is going on in the same room), or there's a consequence (like being flogged by the master artisan for bungling the order, you slovenly apprentice, you), that character with the 70% chance is likely to get by more often than the one with 50% and avoid negative consequences because they're better, faster, or more efficient.</blockquote>

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