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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ClaytonCross" data-source="post: 7309475" data-attributes="member: 6880599">I see this a player agency issue and it comes down to 4 things to me.1. Character stats have to matter or your take away player agency when creating a character and make their choices meaningless. -- So if your auto-failing players for players a abilities instead of character attempts using characters states your removing the role from role play and the character design choices. Basically using passive tests as a default instead of auto fail fixes this. 2. Players actions after character creation should be passive unless stated then active so that player agency is important and engaging on a round to round basics. If the player is on auto-pilot give them the passive check to notice or interact with things (mostly passive perception) but if they are interacting give them an active search. A scout says he is always look for an ambush gets passive perception and as per #1 that will be better for a scout based off of his choices as a player during character creation and/or leveling however if they fail to see something with passive which is default 10 + skill then they are basically settling for 50% + skill and if that is working then fine, support that as a result of their plan and building, however if they speak up and say hay I didn't see anything in that last room but I feel like I might of missed something, give them an active check for a chance of up to 10 higher to spot something they missed. This means when players are engaged on their "job" they get more involved and interesting things CAN happen even if they don't at least the option is there.3. NPCs and players should have the same rules but since GM is running the world and the NPCs from the same mind the GM has to make a choice to find something or not find something on auto-fail/auto-success environments so if a player has to check a specific drawer and make a role to find a key when the NPC gets to find things with passive skill and the GM knowledge of where the key is the NPCs become inherently better than players since they unable to have below 10. Objects hidden in a room are basically, contested rolls against the NPC that hid it, so having players need to open the drawer or auto fail is like having a player search for an ambush by requiring the player to name all the bushes he looks behind and role for each vs NPC passive stealth of at least 9 and letting NPCs find players hiding anywhere with a minimum of a 10 to spot while players get a single pass or fail role for stealth 1-20 at possible -1 with disadvantage with heavy armor and no auto success. This largely means the players with high stealth are rarely if ever found since they can have a minimum stealth of role with a +9 and the rest are always found, but the chance of players finding NPCs is completely random base on the words they use not this skills they choose or the roles they make. Instead I would make allow players and NPCs passive perception -5 (disadvantage) to spot a random ambush or see some one they are not looking for in a crowd, a role to look for one if they expect it for some reason, a role to actively hide from someone approaching, and I allow a passive stealth -5 (disadvantage) when players or NPC are trying to go unnoticed but are not hiding from anyone they are aware of. An example of passive stealth might be "we try to blend into the crowd and not draw attention" or "we travel quietly along the side of the road not hiding but staying to the bushes so we can hide if someone comes by". Generally give disadvantage (-5) on passive stealth because you would be hiding from without a direction to hide from and without delaying your travel. Using these basic guidelines I treat NPCs and players the same giving more meaning to player choices and not requiring players to role for being stealth for "my character is always..." sure they are always passively aware with their eyes open and by habit try not to draw attention and stick to the shadows because they are used to being in enemy territory. That doesn't mean I give them the full benefit of a stealth or perception role but at the same time I am going to do the same thing to the NPCs so it is 100% fair.4. Standard difficulties - As a side note I also have become a believer in standard or random difficulties for tests so that even physical skill tests can be opposed tests. For example if the group comes to a river, the river can be set to a DC 12 to cross set on a table by season and location so that the rivers difficult is constant and players have gain benefit of choosing to be better at skill that help them across the river but being the same for NPCs in which case I as a GM might give a group with bad athletics the opportunity to buy a folding boat. Alternatively, I might roll a d20 with a minimum re-roll number (so if I say the river never goes below 5, I don't add 5 to the roll I just re-roll until I roll above 5 so that the river is capped at 20) and let the be river flow DC be a product of regional rain fall and run off. As such, it would still impact NPCs the same way but on different days they might have different successes. This also makes some standard difficulties opposed roles instead of static and after I role I make a statement regarding the power of the river so players get an idea of if they should fight a surge or if they can easily wade the low tide.That's my 2 cents anyway.</blockquote>

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