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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5746455" data-attributes="member: 2067">The Roll Is The Law.Okay, so you personally remember the bit about the Draconic Prophecy in the setting book. But that doesn't mean your character knows it. Roll a History check against a DC I determine for the obscurity of the knowledge (perhaps with a +2 bonus for knowing it yourself), and your character can know it, too.What? Your barbarian didn't roll high enough? Aww, guess you can't use that.Okay, so you personally bat your eyelashes and stroke my ear and affect a sultry voice while telling me you're trying to charm the wayward noble at the bar. But that doesn't mean you charm him. Roll a Diplomacy check against a DC I determine for the willpower of the noble (perhaps with a +4 bonus for being...er...really in character), and you might seduce him.What? Your grizzled veteran fighter with an eyepatch used Cha as a dump stat? Awww, guess you can't charm your way into the noble's heart.Okay, so you heard that the magic armor of an expert adventurer in the city has a vulnerable chink in it, and, in the next combat, you state that your character lunges for the opening. But that doesn't mean you automatically hit it. Roll an attack roll against a DC I determine for that spot (perhaps with a +2 bonus for using an in-character exploit), and you might hit him.What? Your frail spellcaster can't hit the broad side of a barn with his dagger? Awww, guess you should leave fighting to the fighters. In every circumstance, the stats govern what you can actually accomplish. I don't say "pretend to be stupid." I do say, "just because you are smart doesn't mean your character is." The stats provide you with the tools for interacting with the world. It's the way I prefer to play, because I don't care for the metagame nature of relying on the player's inherent ability. It removes me from the fiction of the world. Your barbarian isn't smart. Your fighter isn't persuasive. Your wizard isn't strong. Your stats dictate this, and, to have a stroke of genius, a moment of persuasion, or an instant of strength, you need to overcome the odds. Smart play can help you -- bonuses are the candy I give out -- but it won't just do it for you.Wanna do something with a chance of failure? Roll for it. This includes "having great ideas" if your character has an Int of 5, "persuading NPCs" if your Cha is 3, and "hitting hard" if your Str is 8.</blockquote>

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