Ability Check (PSR Supplement)
From D&D Wiki
|
Hit Points & Damage |
Rest Environment Peculiar Traits |
|
| Difficulty | DC |
|---|---|
| Very easy | 5 |
| Easy | 10 |
| Moderate | 15 |
| Hard | 20 |
| Very Hard | 25 |
| Nearly impossible | 30 |
An ability check tests a creature’s innate talent and training in an effort to overcome a challenge. The narrator calls for an ability check when a creature attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.
For every ability check, the narrator decides which of the six abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of the task, represented by a Difficulty Class (DC). The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The adjacent table shows the most common DCs.
To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the DC.
If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success—meaning the creature overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it’s a failure, which means the creature makes no progress toward the objective or makes progress combined with a setback determined by your narrator.
Working Together
Sometimes two or more characters team up to attempt a task. The character who’s leading the effort—or the one with the highest ability modifier—can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other characters. During an encounter, this requires the Help action.
The narrator is expected to decide whether or not such help is actually helpful. Some tasks, such as threading a needle, are no easier with help and wouldn't benefit from this advantage.
If multiple characters are trying to accomplish a task as a group — such as all sneaking past a guard, or all navigating through a dangerous swamp — then your narrator might call for a group check instead.
