D&D 5E Medicine Checks

[Charlaquin]

Well it doesn't always work that way at the table. Providing more description or options is conducive to more ideas.

This is not consistent with my experience. Providing “options” in the form of lists of goals and DCs has not been conducive to players declaring actions in my experience. It has been conducive to players treating their skills like buttons they can push to make something happen. It’s conducive to declarations like “I use Medicine to determine the cause of death,” which is not an action. It’s a goal and a skill the player wants to apply their Proficiency Bonus for.

Again, there's a reason why the Medicine skill has been brought up numerous times with people either a) questioning it's usefulness at all, or b) trying to expand its uses.

You’re not wrong, but I think the reason is that a lot of people are still running 5e like they would 3e or 4e.

 

[Ashrym]

@Charlaquin if I said "I try to help treat Bob's exhaustion by examining his symptoms to treat the worst most effectively" and Bob is suffering from heat exhaustion then what would your answer be?

 

[Charlaquin]

@Charlaquin if I said "I try to help treat Bob's exhaustion by examining his symptoms to treat the worst most effectively" and Bob is suffering from heat exhaustion then what would your answer be?

I’d say, “So it sounds like your goal is actually to determine how to treat Bob’s symptoms most effectively, and your approach is to examine his symptoms. Do I have that right?”

 

[Ashrym]

I’d say, “So it sounds like your goal is actually to determine how to treat Bob’s symptoms most effectively, and your approach is to examine his symptoms. Do I have that right?”

My ultimate goal is to treat Bob. How I do that starts with examining his symptoms, yes.

 

[Charlaquin]

My ultimate goal is to treat Bob. How I do that starts with examining his symptoms, yes.

Ok, so the action you are currently taking is to examine Bob’s symptoms in order to figure out the best way to treat them, yes or no?

 

[Ashrym]

Ok, so the action you are currently taking is to examine Bob’s symptoms in order to figure out the best way to treat them, yes or no?

yes

 

[Charlaquin]

yes

Ok. So, if there is some matter of time pressure, I would say you can make that determination with a 10-minute examination, and confirm that you want to do so. If there was no time pressure, I would just tell you. In either case, what you would learn (assuming you did decide to spend the 10 minutes if there was time pressure) is that the best way to treat his symptoms would be to remove any heavy or restrictive clothing and have him rest, preferably in a cool, damp, shaded place, and up his fluid intake.

 

[Ashrym]

Ok. So, if there is some matter of time pressure, I would say you can make that determination with a 10-minute examination, and confirm that you want to do so. If there was no time pressure, I would just tell you. In either case, what you would learn (assuming you did decide to spend the 10 minutes if there was time pressure) is that the best way to treat his symptoms would be to remove any heavy or restrictive clothing and have him rest, preferably in a cool, damp, shaded place, and up his fluid intake.

Okay, I spend the 10 minutes, learn what I learn, and follow it. What happens.

 

[Charlaquin]

Okay, I spend the 10 minutes, learn what I learn, and follow it. What happens.

Well if Bob was suffering from heat exhaustion, he was presumably in an environment with temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more without drinkable water for at least an hour and failed at least one of his Constitution saving throws. If you got him water and/or to a cool place, he won’t have to keep making those saving throws, and after a long rest his exhaustion level will go down by 1.

 

[Ashrym]

Well if Bob was suffering from heat exhaustion, he was presumably in an environment with temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more without drinkable water for at least an hour and failed at least one of his Constitution saving throws. If you got him water and/or to a cool place, he won’t have to keep making those saving throws, and after a long rest his exhaustion level will go down by 1.

To me that just looks like you decided it was no roll needed for those actions and results. It's perfectly valid and something that happens at tables all the time.

At some point someone would need to make a roll based on a DC. It's the basis for check system in 5e. I could write that down in my OP as DC10 to diagnose heat exhaustion and consider it investing time for no check needed. The only difference is fleshing out the activity.

Unless you never ever ever roll checks, of course.