this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2025
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[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (23 children)

Rolling a 1 on a skill check is an automatic failure at most tables I've sat at. Just like the common "Free Parking" house rule in Monopoly.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (14 children)

Yeah and free parking jackpots break monopoly by making the game run for hours

Failed skill checks on 1 break d&d by making skilled people fail regularly just as less skilled people do. I also play in the Palladium system where skill checks are on percentile dice and also don't fail on a minimum roll

One of the things I don't like about BG3 is that the rogue with godlike sneak can't get far with greater invisibility because everything they touch gives a 1/20 chance of being heard

When I roll a d&d skill I call out the total. A 1 might be 6 or 10. I'm not participating in rewriting the basic rules of the game

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

If you can't fail a skill check, there should be no roll. Same as most DMs won't make you do a skill check for "I sit down on a chair".

Rolling dice implies that there's a chance of failure.

Failed skill checks on 1 break d&d by making skilled people fail regularly just as less skilled people do.

Nope. 1/20 is much less regular than 5/20 or even 19/20. More skill doesn't mean it always works, only that your chances are higher. And if you are skilled enough that it always works, then there should be no roll.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Isn't that okay for easy stuff? Skilled characters also see harder challenges, disarming a dc20 trap for example

Why should they fail to tie a simple knot on a +5, dc5 use rope check 1 in 20 times?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Isn’t that right foot easy stuff?

Sorry, don't know if I understand what you mean with that.

Why should they fail to tie a simple knot on a +5, dc5 use rope check 1 in 20 times?

Why should they roll for something as simple as tieing a simple knot? I don't make my players roll whether they manage to tie their shoes either.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A simple knot like the bowline you'd tie around a sturdy tree before descending by rope into a hole

That's exactly the sort of thing a DM would set as DC10

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If your skill level would guarantee a win if you ignore the concept of a natural 1 auto-failing, then there should be no roll.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

If everyone is aware. If the player knows the DC and the GM knows the players character sheet

...ignore the concept

I call it following the rules. 1 as an auto fail is a common house rule, it is not the rule in d&d

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Swipe typo. Corrected now

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