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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Skywalker" data-source="post: 4939093" data-attributes="member: 1538">IMO the DCs aren't too low, though they can appear that way. There has been a recent WotC article explaining the math and I think the design is soundIt is worth noting that in order to get an even chance of success for the entire challenge, you need individual skill rolls to have the following chance of success:Complexity 1: 67%Complexity 2: 75%Complexity 3: 80%Complexity 4: 83%Complexity 5: 86%As you can see these are pretty high.The trick though is presenting a range of DCs that allow PCs to have a chance of success, without just relying on their highest skill (which is dull). Even if a PC has pretty inappropriate skills, you want to leave some avenue open for them to roll provided they act in a clever or creative manner.The current DCs reflect this. Easy DCs are really only able to be failed by the untrained. Mod DCs are generally able to be succeeded by the trained. Hard DCs remain a challenge.The difficulty comes when you present your Skill Challenge. If you do so transparently and reveal all the options and mechanics to the players, then they simply align their skills and the DCs are too low unless you have made them all Hard DCs.If you do as the DMG suggests and simply note Primary Skills to the players, but don't reveal the exact mechanics of the challenge, then the DCs work just fine. I think it is important to make sure that you follow the action and not the skills. So the skill rolled is determined by the narration made and not vice versa.Beyond this there are some advanced tips and tricks you can add to a Challenge to make work even better. Allow PCs to increases DCs for increased successes, put in time limits, have rolls interact or provide autofailures, can all help to focus the players on getting clues from the narration and not on the math.For example, in Demon Queen's Enclave, I made a Skill Challenge where the DC to intimidate the Drow Matron was low for the first two successes (she was in a poor position and respected strength). However, further uses of intimidation produced auto-failures as there was a tipping point from showing strength to making her look foolish. The idea of a tipping point was described through the narration of the scene.FWIW I would avoid the suggestion to add +5 DC across the board. This tends to promote Skill Challenges where PCs only use their best skills, reducing the creativity and variability that is in the existing system if used correctly.</blockquote>

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