Open locks, take 10 or 20?

[Hypersmurf]

I didn't say the DM informs the player of the DC but that he has to keep track of {skill modifiers for the player and DC of the check} and then he can inform the player that he succeeds when the player states he is making the attempt.

Right. But if the player states he's Taking 20, he still fails repeatedly and eventually succeeds, even though he'd succeed on a roll of 1.

-Hyp.

 

[irdeggman]

Right. But if the player states he's Taking 20, he still fails repeatedly and eventually succeeds, even though he'd succeed on a roll of 1.

-Hyp.

Didn't I say that too?

All I meant to say was that there are actually several choices:

1. Roll the skill check normally

2. Take 10 (under certain circumstances)

3. Take 20 (under certain circumstances) {This one has the caveat that there is always a failure hence you can't do it if you can't retry the check or if there are consequences for a failure}

4. An automatic success. When a roll of a 1 will always succeed due to check modifiers.

 

[Mordane76]

If we're just talking about opening the lock, then yes, he can Take 20. If there's a trap on the object that they didn't find with a Take 20 Search (also legal), and didn't disable with Disable Device (which he can't Take 20 on because of the consequence of failure), then the Take 20 Open Locks sets off the trap.

Yes, there's a consequence for failure, but it's not the fault of the Open Locks check - it would be the fault of the Disable Device check. The only consequence for failing the Open Locks check is that the lock doesn't open, which isn't really a 'consequence' considered by the Take 20 passage.

 

[Infiniti2000]

If there's a trap on the object that they didn't find with a Take 20 Search (also legal), and didn't disable with Disable Device (which he can't Take 20 on because of the consequence of failure), then the Take 20 Open Locks sets off the trap.

Whether the Open Locks sets off the trap depends entirely on the design of the trap. For example, I think it's a really bad design to go off when you are trying to open the lock. There are many other types of triggers, and most of them being much better.

I would never create a trap that only goes off when someone fails at opening the lock. Wouldn't it make much more sense for the trap to go off when someone succeeds at opening the lock? Or, better yet, when the door/lid is opened and everyone else is gathered around?

 

[RigaMortus2]

The other way to look at it is, by Taking 20, Open Locks succeeds (assuming that is still enough to make the required check of course) regardless of there being a trap there or not, and regardless of it triggering or not.