Re: Skill Checks

[Greg Mowczko <mooch>]

> From: "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 )
>
> 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

I would keep letting them try to pick the lock. But if they missed their
check by enough ( GM dependent ) they break the pick in the lock. With
lock picking as long as you don't break the lock or your picks you keep
trying till its done. This means that the GM determines how long each
attempt takes. As time goes on someone else in the party might just
break the door in or the picker gets tired of failing. With each failure
the amount of time the next attempt takes increase. This is a case where
1 check does not = 1 round.

There are other skills that you can screw up that give no recovery/second
chances. Mountain climbing is a good one ( unless you survive the fall and
try again :) ). Some skills you don't even know that you failed so you
don't know you need to try again ( such as Hiding ).

						Greg