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The Unseen Servant forums • Ability checks
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Ability checks

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:07 pm
by ToniXX
I recently wrote a little about a simple but effective way to do ability checks in D&D (or any RPG, really). There are so many ways to do it, but this adds a little dimension to it.

You can read the article at my (somewhat) new blog:
http://press.unseenservant.us/?p=66

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:52 pm
by rredmond
I love the idea if varying the amounts of dice for those types of checks. I remember in the olden days doing some sort of bonuses or negatives to deal with ability checks. Only over the past couple years or so have I heard of adding or taking away dice, even though I think other FRPGs do it. It feels more real ya know. "Alright, this is quite a wide chasm, roll under your Dexterity on 7d6!"
Gulp!

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:12 pm
by ToniXX
rredmond wrote:Alright, this is quite a wide chasm, roll under your Dexterity on 7d6!"
Gulp!
LOL! Yea, multiple dice means the result will be a bell curve instead of straight line like if you rolled just a d20. It seems a little more fair.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:14 pm
by Argennian
Good stuff there, ToniXX! 8-)

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:56 am
by Stonjuz
Easy: 2d6
Normal: 3d6
Hard: 4d6
Very Hard: 5d6

The player succeeds if he or she rolls equal to or less than the relevant ability score.


Will try this next chance I get....although someone is bound to raise a stink at the first failure.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:46 am
by Vargr1105
I would still prefer rolling 1d20 under your Ability Score and use modifiers if needed. I would rather work with set percentile chances (which is what rolling a straight d20 is) rather than bell curves.

One thing that I did, given the lack of diversity granularity in AD&D Ability scores is having 1d100 Derived Rolls when an action does not fall under a single stat.

For example, we use Athletics derived from Str, Dex and Con to cover actions that combine agility/coordination. muscular work and innate physical ability to sustain effort, like climbing. Perception is derived of Wis and Con to reflect innate intuition and the health of sensory organs; Knowledge combines the two mental stats Int and Wis and is divided into 3 categories (easy/medium/hard) depending on your race, class, character concept and previous experience. Pure dumb Luck is based solely on Comeliness because as we all know, the world tends to treat beautiful people better.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 11:05 pm
by OGRE MAGE
Wow. I've never seen that one before. I have been thinking about ways to separate the mechanics of the saveing throw and the ability check for a long time. My search appears to be over.

I will be implementing this into our game on Friday night.
Thanks for the great suggestion! Love this board!!!

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:52 am
by Pulpatoon
This is good stuff.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:29 am
by Hrafn
Wow, that's really cool.

Could you reverse the scale for attacks? It wouldn't be as elegant, but with a kid now I need to ramp up my plans for a D&D that fits perfectly within an Altoids tin. LBB D&D using primarily d6 covers it!

Definitely using this ASAP.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:29 am
by SilverBen
Sorry to be joining this conversation so late and hope this remains relevant: I'm fond of using the method called the Frequency roll explained in the Encounters chapter of the 2nd edition DMG. Rolling 1d8+1d12 produces results with a random distribution in four basic categories of frequency. See chapter 11 of the 2nd edition DM for the complete list of results and their corresponding categories. Or, just roll 1d100 less than or equal to these values...
Common = 70%
Uncommon = 20%
Rare = 7%
Very Rare = 3%

I ask players what they want to accomplish and then determine its frequency. I tell the player they can accomplish what they want if they roll the frequency.

For Example, Player the states, "I'm a mage looking to purchase a Deck of Many Things."
DM responds, "Ok, that possible but that's going to be a rare item here, even among the mage shops. Please make a frequency roll."
Player rolls and is successful. (Player does a victory dance, which is always entertaining to watch)

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 4:14 pm
by AsenRG
rredmond wrote:I love the idea if varying the amounts of dice for those types of checks. I remember in the olden days doing some sort of bonuses or negatives to deal with ability checks. Only over the past couple years or so have I heard of adding or taking away dice, even though I think other FRPGs do it.
I'm pretty sure it was a rule in some of the early editions of D&D, but can't quote :).
OTOH, that's basically the core mechanic of Traveller 4 and Traveller 5 with some slight differences.

Re: Ability checks

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:20 pm
by Starbeard
I do like the multiple d6 thing. The Fantasy Trip uses it as its main mechanic, and the very first Star Trek RPG from Heritage Models in 1978 uses it too, though it doesn't really lay it out as a rule.

These days, in my B/X game I find that I go to the basic mechanics already found elsewhere in the game more and more.

There's the 1d6 check ('Listening'/'Open Doors')
There's the 2d6 check ('Reaction Roll'/'Morale')
There's the 1d20 check, roll high ('Saving Throw')
There's the 1d100 check, roll low (various Thief Skills)

I find you can shoehorn most actions into one of these. For example, while thieves can Climb Sheer Surfaces and Pick Pockets, I'll have everyone else roll those skills as if they were a thief when Climbing Normal Surfaces or Untying Giant Knots.

You can break actions down in the same way in AD&D, by swapping out ability scores in the various ability tables:

Open Doors (strength table): used for fairly most common raw ability checks
Bend Bars/Lift Gates (strength table): used for raw ability checks that are extremely difficult
Chance to Know Spells (intelligence table): used for checks that require specialist training
Chance of Spell Failure (wisdom table): used for simple tasks that still require arduous or lengthy concentration
System Shock Survival (constitution table): used for rolls that require reflexive reaction