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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ilbranteloth" data-source="post: 7910284" data-attributes="member: 6778044">Thus my statement that circumstances can (and should) be taken into account, applying advantage/disadvantage as needed. Disadvantage for a Passive check is -5, thus making many things that would otherwise be easy enough to do now require a check.In other words: there's actual drama and risk when situations call for it. It just helps you determine, consistently and fairly, when the situation calls for it.I'm not a fan of fail forward, but I fully embrace partial success/failure (and my example of time to complete a task can be considered either). We have standard break points as well, typically success/failure by 5 or more, 10 and more, natural 1 or 20, etc. However, there are still a lot of checks that are a binary success/failure regardless.For me, any system of rules is a framework for the DM to adjudicate the action, not a strict set of rules to follow slavishly. So even if a PC's Passive check would normally indicate success, it's the action at the table that might call for a check anyway. But by using the Passive checks as the usual floor, it makes it extremely easy to make those decisions, and also easily differentiates the abilities of the PCs in a meaningful way.Combine that with our usual approach of non-proficient = ability modifier + disadvantage, proficient = ability score + proficiency modifier, and expertise is the same as proficiency + advantage, and the possibility that advantage/disadvantage can stack, it creates a complete framework for very quick and easy adjudication. As a DM, you know almost instantly whether a die roll is normally necessary, and makes it easier to identify the times, especially the exceptions, when calling for a die roll will actually enhance the ongoing narrative. Actually asking for a check itself enhances the suspense at the table because you're no longer calling for trivial checks.That's ultimately what I found that was missing from all of the other systems I've tried, including the D&D systems over the years. The advice is to only call for a die roll when it matters. But by not setting a floor based on the skill of the PCs, you're ignoring part of what makes each character unique - their specific set of skills and their level of proficiency.</blockquote>

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