NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JiffyPopTart" data-source="post: 7830197" data-attributes="member: 4881">An interesting look at the 4th dimension of time....I, as a GM, cannot see into the future.  Thus I cannot give you "all the things your character should have known about the situation" before those thoughts have even been created in my head.  Literally all my notes say is "There is a chest with 5 healing potions in it and a DC 15 lock".  You, as a player, can ask me 1000 detailed questions on the chest that I can make up answers to before you make the check.What kind of wood is it made from?   OakWhat metal is the lock?  SteelDoes it look rusted?  Not particularlyWhat are its exact dimensions? 10X8X8If I lick the wood what does it taste like?  Moldy oakEtc...Then you say your character is going to try to unlock the chest.IF there was no reason for you not being able to keep trying until you get it....then I would roll a die behind the screen (1-20) and narrate how it was a simple twist of the wrist or that someone had shoved a copper piece in the mechanism and it took awhile but you got it open...then give you the potions.ORIf there is a reason for you not being able to keep trying (EVEN IF THAT REASON IS ME, THE GM, DECIDING YOU ARE BREEZING THROUGH THE ADVENTURE AND I NEED TO UP THE DIFFICULTY A BIT) then I would tell you to roll the dice and see if you can get the chest open.  You get a 2 and fail the check.  Then I have to come up with some reason to narrate to you why there is a delay in your trying again (because otherwise I would have used the other narrative only option).  Yea, the copper piece in the slot won't come out without taking the lock apart completely.At this point you can try something OTHER than just rolling again.  Maybe the wizard has a grease spell, or shrink powder, or maybe the barbarian just whacks it, or maybe you disassemble the lock and it takes a short rest to get it open.  There are a LOT of other solutions to getting the goodies that doesn't include you just rolling over and over until you succeed.The words spoken between GM and Player do not represent the entirety of the information the character observed nor does it represent the entirety of all the actions the character took.If your character is picking a lock...they are literally doing everything in their power (at the moment, however long that moment might be) to open the lock.  If the lock was rusty, they are adding in some oil.  If it needs more force they are using the correct tools.  You don't have to, as a player, narrate that you are oiling the lock or that you are using the #3 bent hook instead of the #7 spring hook because its just naturally assumed.</blockquote>

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