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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6365099" data-attributes="member: 42582">I'm working from the final, Essentials revisions to the DCs.For Medium difficulty, these range from 12 (at 1st level) to 32 (at 30th level), or around 11 + 0.7 * level.At 1st level, Proficiency is +5 (success on 7+) and a good stat is +3 to +5 (success on 7 to 9+).At 30th level, a good stat is around +9, and the level bonus is +15, for success on 8+.Hence an average success rate of around 2/3 (EDIT: for individual skill checks - skill challenges will have a noticeably lower success rate unless the PCs have better bonuses eg prof + stat, items, powers etc). This is pretty consistent across 4e: the notional success rate for attacks (based on the attack and defence numbers per level, for monsters and traps) is 3 in 5 (ie hit on a 9+).I think this is a table-by-table issue. I certainly think it's open, and that sort of thing comes up in my game from time to time, but I know that others prefer stronger GM authority over backstory.Something that I would think is less contentius in your example would be to make a Streetwise check to collect scuttlebut to discredit the merchant in question. I think the rules clearly intend to permit that, even if it didn't occur to the GM in advance, and so a bit of GM improvisation is required to handle the details of the resolution.</blockquote>