Checks (9e)
Making skill checks is an important part of engaging in the storyline by resolving problems out of combat. Following tracks, repairing broken machinery, determining the lore of a place, all of those things and more.
Each check has a type and a difficulty class or DC, which is the target number that must be hit for a runaway success. The four check types are:
- Craft Check: Used when using a professional skill to create, fix, or analyse something.
- Knowledge Check: Used when recalling some important information on a topic.
- Physical Check: Used when physical speed, strength, or some other trait is required.
- Social Check: Used when interacting with others, to intimidate, charm, or otherwise.
When making a check, the player must choose part of their character's background which would apply to what needs to be done, such as using "Former blacksmith" for a craft check. The same background can be used in any number of checks as long as it remains applicable: "Former blacksmith" could also apply to having the necessary strength for a physical check, or the experience in dealing with customers for a social check. The player rolls a d20 and then adds the bonus from their background to get the result.
The DM must set the DC for the skill check either as an opposed check, by rolling a skill check for a non-player character first (most often used for social and physical checks), or by using the scale below as a basis.
| Difficulty: How troublesome a task is this to complete? | DC |
|---|---|
| Reasonable; with appropriate experience in the field, this task should be a breeze. | 12 |
| Middling; this should require time, effort, and an understanding of what needs to be done. | 15 |
| Challenging; even a skilled expert might find this hard work to undertake. | 18 |
| Difficult; it might take multiple people giving it their all to get this done. | 21 |
| Impossible; only the most heroic of efforts will allow for success. | 23 |
The DM can nudge these values up and down one or two points as they see fit, to better represent the level of difficulty.
If two or more players want for their characters to cooperate on a skill check, simply add the background bonuses together and subtract 2 for each additional player contributing, using the result as the bonus for the d20 roll. Not all checks can be done cooperatively, of course, but be lenient in deciding which ones.
During the course of the game, the DM must take passive checks into account. If a character has a background such as "Mechanical engineer" then they would obviously not fail to notice something such as a supposedly-working machine being broken or inefficient. By all means don't spell anything out for them, but remember that their characters have knowledge and insight that the player may not have.
Success and Failure
If a skill check fails to hit the DC by 1 to 2 points, consider it as a partial success. For instance, if the character is attempting to find informants who know about the location of a crime boss, then on a partial success the character would only find one. So they would accomplish what they set out to do, but not as well as it could have gone.
If a skill check fails to hit the DC by 3 to 5 points, consider it as a partial failure. For instance, if the character is attempting to find informants who know about the location of a crime boss, then on a partial failure the character would end up walking into a trap set by the crime boss. So they don't succeed at what they set out to do, but they end up in a position which might help them. After they've escaped, of course.
Try not to have any completely flat failures. Even a complete failure should open up new paths for the narrative to progress. At the very least, prompt another member of the party to try an approach that they might not have considered.
