clearstream
(He, Him)
I don't think I said automatically anywhere. Did you find somewhere I might have?As I argued upthread, if you think DM should decide whether their own NPCs, acting on PCs, should succeed automatically, then we may as well stop arguing because we're never going to agree
Remember that this is the general rule (PHB 185) that is conflicting with the specific (example, PHB 179), that the DM can call for a check. Per PHB 7, game element specifics beat general.And if you argue that you skip that step when it's an NPC acting on a PC, then we're not using the prescribed play loop, so I don't know where you're getting that new rule from.
The play loop is another general rule.And if you argue that you skip that step when it's an NPC acting on a PC, then we're not using the prescribed play loop, so I don't know where you're getting that new rule from.
Again, that is only so if you ignore specific beats general. RAW doesn't support doing so.So that means the player must decide whether the NPCs attempt (to persuade, intimidate, belittle, seduce) will automatically succeed or fail (in it's goal of altering their PC's behavior). And as long as we agree on that, I guess I don't really care if it's the DM who "calls for a roll" in the case of uncertainty. The player had their chance to declare the attempt was not going to work, so if they want to turn it over to the DM that's fine.