Skill Checks

["Kris Ames" <kris@cioe.com>]

> 
> On Wed, 4 Nov 1998, Steve Ames wrote:
> 

> > 
> > All checks work like this. If you fail them, you fail them. You don't
> > get to retry until you succeed. Failing doesn't mean you goofed it
means
> > that you _CANNOT_ do something. For whatever reason the conditions
are
> > such that this 2d6 swimming check cannot be made by you. You get a
> > default and then the swimming (or whatever skill your using) option
is
> > over for you. Time to try something different.
> > 
> > ( greg makes the arguable point that you should be able to try again
> >   next round and just roll more dice, indicating that you are trying
> >   harder. I mostly agree )
> > 
> > So if you fail your swimming check and its default you cannot try
> > swimming again (unless circumstances/conditions change in which case
> > the GM will assign you a new check anyway... this happens whenever
> > conditions change for the better _AND_ worse). When you fail your
> > check you get that first mouth full of water that begins the drowning
> > process. (and you should probably just relax and float at this
point...
> > unless you have so much equipment and such that you can't (which most
of
> > us do *grin*))
> > 


Okay everyone...The reason that historically we have ruled that once you
fail the skill check you can not try the skill again is to prevent people
from playing the "I will try and pick the lock with my 4 lock picking
skill until I succeed".  This is a good thing to prevent.  The only
problem comes into situations where even missing the skill check one
would logically think you could try again and have a reasonable chance of
success.  Such as in riding a horse  even if you fall off, once you get
back on there is very little reason you wouldn't be able to try it again
and do fine.  The question is where is the line between you can try again
and can't try again?  And if this line exists how do we define this line
in a few words or a couple of sentences?

-Kris