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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 6861358" data-attributes="member: 996">I'm sorry, but it's really not an objective reality - the ogre doesn't exist.  Objectively.An ogre in that context is an imaginary challenge to a party of imaginary adventurers.  Whether it's in 2e, 3e, 4e, RuneQuest or some other system, it's still just that.  Each system will give it different stats to be used in resolving that challenge as part of play, that doesn't make any one set of stat an objective reality, or even a reality.  Depending on the system, that resolution may be more or less 'objective,' in some sense though 'mechanistic' might be a better way of putting it, if you happen to be able to run it strictly by the book with dice rolls in the open.    Otherwise, if the DM makes any judgment call, for instance, it's not so objective anymore.  5e tends to lean on DM judgment a lot.  But the stats of the ogre in the game aren't an objective description of what an ogre /is/, but of what challenge it poses to an adventuring party.  Prior to 3e and CR, there wasn't even quite a formal attempt to quantify that challenge.  Maybe, arguably, exp value.  But not so much HD, even though they were often equated with level.Not in 5e, no.  The DM decides if there is uncertainty, then if there is a check and what the DC is.  The check does not make the decision, the DM does.  If the DM decides the village blacksmith can make horseshoes and nails all day without a check, he can, and does.  Whether he's stated out or not, whatever his bonus to blacksmithing may be if he is given stats.  I a PC uses blacksmithing tools for something, same process, the DM decides if there's uncertainty, if there is, calls for a roll and assigns a DC.  Or the DM just doesn't call for checks when he does something routine, and, because he's a blacksmith blacksmithing every day DC 15 checks are routine.</blockquote>

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