Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
New Design & Development -- Skill DCs
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 5314390" data-attributes="member: 5143"><p>The thing is, skill DCs are entirely a metagame concept anyways. They shouldn't be used to model in game DCs. Because, as a DM you get to come up with the DCs when you already know the level of your PCs.</p><p></p><p>So, the only reason you're asking them to roll in the first place is because you want to see if they'll fail. The table gives you a good sense of what numbers are likely to be passed by a certain level of character about 65% of the time</p><p></p><p>If you want the weakest person in the party to succeed 80% of the time, you lower the DC by 3 from the appropriate level.</p><p></p><p>I also disagree that good adventure design involves going after things that are easier or harder, at least beyond a certain range. I certainly believe that if you are level 20, you should be able to have threats somewhere between a 15-25 range. But beyond the small range, it is rather a waste of everyone's time to run it using any game mechanics. Battles below that can be summarized with "You win" and battles above that can be summarized with "You lose". Skill checks above and below that are likewise best if they are run as routine activities for the PCs. Need to convince that beggar to give you information that you would have considered a moderate task while they were level 1? Simply tell the PCs "You talk to the beggars and this is the list of things they tell you". Unless you want them to have a chance to fail. In which case, assign a low DC for their own level.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Majoru Oakheart, post: 5314390, member: 5143"] The thing is, skill DCs are entirely a metagame concept anyways. They shouldn't be used to model in game DCs. Because, as a DM you get to come up with the DCs when you already know the level of your PCs. So, the only reason you're asking them to roll in the first place is because you want to see if they'll fail. The table gives you a good sense of what numbers are likely to be passed by a certain level of character about 65% of the time If you want the weakest person in the party to succeed 80% of the time, you lower the DC by 3 from the appropriate level. I also disagree that good adventure design involves going after things that are easier or harder, at least beyond a certain range. I certainly believe that if you are level 20, you should be able to have threats somewhere between a 15-25 range. But beyond the small range, it is rather a waste of everyone's time to run it using any game mechanics. Battles below that can be summarized with "You win" and battles above that can be summarized with "You lose". Skill checks above and below that are likewise best if they are run as routine activities for the PCs. Need to convince that beggar to give you information that you would have considered a moderate task while they were level 1? Simply tell the PCs "You talk to the beggars and this is the list of things they tell you". Unless you want them to have a chance to fail. In which case, assign a low DC for their own level. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
New Design & Development -- Skill DCs
Top