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Encounter Balance holds back 5E
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<blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 9332186" data-attributes="member: 15538"><p>The biggest problem I have with restricting skill checks, second to simply breaking the RAW in a big way and upsetting the presumed balance, is that the DM places themselves in the position of stating who they think the PC. The classic one I hear is, "Well, would you let the Barbarian make an Arcana check to see if they recognize those arcane symbols?"</p><p></p><p>I mean, yes. Maybe they happened to recognize them by chance, or because of a previous adventure. Maybe that cult killed their village. Maybe they are a professional wizard hunter. The very next level, they might spend a Feat and become proficient in Arcana. Do they suddenly go from being "the dumb barbarian" to being a master of the Arcane?</p><p></p><p>Unless a certain use literally involves a complex technical use, like brewing a healing potion or unlocking some kind of super lock made by the ancient Space Dwarves, proficiency should never be a barrier to attempting a skill. If a player says their character would and could try, I believe them, period. 5e's proficiency is too granular in the first place to put too much distance between able to try, and not able to try. The penalty for being non-proficient is that your bonus will always be pretty flat, whereas someone who is proficient will advance. </p><p></p><p>If a skill attempt cannot be successfully done by someone who is not trained, at all, ever, the DC should be 25 or higher.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pawsplay, post: 9332186, member: 15538"] The biggest problem I have with restricting skill checks, second to simply breaking the RAW in a big way and upsetting the presumed balance, is that the DM places themselves in the position of stating who they think the PC. The classic one I hear is, "Well, would you let the Barbarian make an Arcana check to see if they recognize those arcane symbols?" I mean, yes. Maybe they happened to recognize them by chance, or because of a previous adventure. Maybe that cult killed their village. Maybe they are a professional wizard hunter. The very next level, they might spend a Feat and become proficient in Arcana. Do they suddenly go from being "the dumb barbarian" to being a master of the Arcane? Unless a certain use literally involves a complex technical use, like brewing a healing potion or unlocking some kind of super lock made by the ancient Space Dwarves, proficiency should never be a barrier to attempting a skill. If a player says their character would and could try, I believe them, period. 5e's proficiency is too granular in the first place to put too much distance between able to try, and not able to try. The penalty for being non-proficient is that your bonus will always be pretty flat, whereas someone who is proficient will advance. If a skill attempt cannot be successfully done by someone who is not trained, at all, ever, the DC should be 25 or higher. [/QUOTE]
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