Taking 20

[MarkB]

So now I want to focus on a part of my original question that got a bit submerged under all the other stuff before. Is there anything in the D&D rules which simulates a person taking their time, concentrating, and being careful so that their first attempt is the best it can possibly be?

Again, when I think of someone disarming a trap, I think of someone working methodically, step-by-step, so that their attempt is the best it can possibly be. (I *don't* think of someone trying over and over again, as the Take 20 rules seem to assume.)

Is there a way in the D&D rules to model this *careful* behavior (rather than simple repetitive attempts). The Take 10 rules seem to be guaranteeing someone an *average* result when they are not performing under pressure. I'm looking for some kind of rules mechanic that guarantees me an *above average* result (without repetitive retries) when I take my time and am careful. Is there such a thing?

That'll be Taking 10. By the rules, you're always assumed to be being careful and doing the job properly unless otherwise specified (i.e. when you make a Climb check, you move at 1/4 speed, because you're taking it slowly and carefully. If you want to go faster, you take a -5 penalty to your check in order to move at half speed).

Getting a natural 20 (or any above-average result) is more than just being careful and cautious - it represents a particularly inspired guess, a gamble that paid off, or a feat of extraordinary dexterity.

Since there is, more often than not, no particular time pressure to disable a trap, a game mechanic which allowed one a high result simply by investing more time would essentially remove the risk factor entirely - if the rogue were at all capable of disabling the trap, he would do so automatically. That makes for a rather dull trap.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Thanks for your response, Infiniti. You say there is some debate about what the rules say about Taking 20 on Disable Device checks.

Brain fart. I read disable device and apparently thought I read open locks (probably still thinking about the other thread). Sorry.