Questions tagged [difficulty-class]
Use this tag when asking about the target numbers rolls are trying to achieve, in systems which calls that the "difficulty class."
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Is there a specified length of time that a pc must wait before trying to perform the same action (due to a previously failed ability check) [duplicate]
For example, a rogue fails a roll attempting to unlock a prison cell. All other pc party members fail on their respective rolls. At that point, may the initial rogue try again or are the prisoners ...
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1answer
773 views
Does the DC for the effect of a Beast Master ranger's animal companion's attack ever increase?
A similar question has been asked for Pathfinder, but I could not find any specific rules for 5e.
As an example, we have a Beast Master ranger with a wolf companion. The wolf has an added effect on ...
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1answer
201 views
How and when do I use my spell save DC and spell attack modifier?
I'm struggling to understand when and how I would use my spell save DC and my spell attack modifier.
Would I use my spell save DC as the DC that enemies need to beat when a spell calls for them to ...
2
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1answer
92 views
How is the ankylosaurus animal companion's stun DC calculated?
So in my last question, Dinosaur Damage Dilemma, I was talking about damage for an Ankylosaurus and I realised that while the dinosaur can stun, the DC would be different for an animal companion. It ...
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0answers
58 views
What are the best ways to increase a sorcerer's spell save DC for illusion or enchantment spells? [closed]
Feats, traits, items, all of the above. Thanks!
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6answers
204 views
Developing skillcheck DCs for an adventure
I'm looking something alongside the lines of:
Calculating and balancing challenge ratings
...but for DCs for skillchecks in an adventure. Traps, chests, climbing, swimming, etc. how hard those ...
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0answers
75 views
How do you use DC when you cast a spell [duplicate]
Say I use a spell that requires target to make a DEX save or take 2d6 fire dmg. What would I compare that creatures DEX save to?
Example: I cast a spell that says, "Target creature makes a DEX ...
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2answers
808 views
Should the DCs for skill checks be higher or lower than saves?
I'm homebrewing a rotten, collapsible staircase. I want there to be a Dex check to climb it, but if they fail the check, they can make a save to avoid falling.
Should the check or the save be of a ...
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3answers
323 views
How can I appropriately scale the DC for the Madness Effect from the Sunken Asylum adventure for Pathfinder when converting it to D&D 5e?
I'm a D&D 5e system GM who runs a West Marches style campaign where I run a session a week with all sorts of adventures. This means I borrow a lot from the internet and quite often take monsters ...
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6answers
4k views
What is the difference between giving advantage on a roll and reducing the DC?
I run a 5e campaign, and I like rewarding my players for thinking outside the box, roleplaying well, etc. Suppose we have the following scenario:
Violet is a bard, and is attempting to intimidate a ...
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2answers
973 views
What's the difficulty class for the paladin's Channel Divinity: Nature's Wrath?
The Oath of the Ancients paladin has the Channel Divinity option Nature's Wrath.
What's the difficulty class for the Channel Divinity ability?
All that I've been able to find is that the target ...
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1answer
305 views
Why is the base DC for a spell saving throw 8? [closed]
In DnD 5e - Does anyone know what the rationale behind making the base DC of a spell saving throw 8 instead of 10? Most attacks, passive attributes, spell attacks use 10 as the base. The average of a ...
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2answers
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How do I calculate the DC for a spell cast by my familiar via the familiar spell feat?
Familiar Spell
How do I calculate the DC for a spell cast by my familiar via the familiar spell feat? (i.e. Do I use my ability score modifier, or the familiar's?)
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2answers
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DC Roll For Starting a Fire?
A character wants to start a campfire in the woods. I assume this would be a Survival check, right?
But what would the DC check be? I've checked the entire Core Rulebook and can't find anything.
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2answers
450 views
Determine spell save DC for an Illusory Wall based on caster level
There is this illusory wall in a published adventure I'm running, cast by an arcane caster with CL 20. We don't have more information about the caster (e.g. their stats) or the wall (e.g. its save DC)....
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1answer
225 views
Do DCs for monster traits change due to a Wild Shaped Druid/Barbarian's Rage?
While raging as a barbarian:
You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
Some beasts have the ability to knock the target prone or cause it to become grappled as part of ...
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2answers
96 views
Finding DC of Athletics check to climb on a cable line strung between two moving objects in zero gravity?
Climbing in zero or low gravity is a -5 DC modifier. If the two objects are moving at high speed (let's say 300 MPH through outerspace, so no wind resistance), how would that impact the DC of the ...
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1answer
2k views
What is the highest spell save DC an AL legal character can have?
Out of curiosity, I’ve been calculating what is the highest spell save DC that a character can have, assuming perfect conditions.
My calculations have so far yielded the following result:
Base of 8
...
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2answers
2k views
Automatic resolution of checks that are impossible to fail or succeed at?
If an ability check DC is lower than your bonus, or if a check DC is higher than (20 + your bonus), and the check is a pure binary check that's pass/fail with no side effects depending on the end ...
9
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1answer
691 views
Does doubling up on Rope and Manacles increase DC or just take multiple checks to escape?
My D&D group is new and we are all still getting used to playing the game and are running through the Starter Set adventure.
During this adventure we end up capturing a Wizard and we bound and ...
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3answers
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Advantage or Disadvantage mechanic for “great advantage”
I am new to D&D 5th ed. I have purchased the books but not played in a group. One of the first big things I see is that advantage (or disadvantage) replace most of the die roll modifiers.
Is ...
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1answer
124 views
Ha-Naga spells save DC
I'm preparing an encounter with an Ha-Naga, and I'm surprised by its spells save DC.
According SRD, its saves are 33 + spell level, charisma-based ; but it has "only" 36 charisma, which should put ...
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3answers
2k views
How do you calculate save DCs for monster abilities?
While reading up on the Bog Nixie (Bestiary 3, page 201), I noticed it mentioned that it had the harpy's Captivating Song DC and that the save DC was "Charisma-based."
My question, then, is how do I ...
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1answer
396 views
How is a Ghoul's Paralysis DC calculated?
So I was looking at making a character that used necrografts, and as such, was looking at various undead abilities that I could attach to myself (With DM permission) and that's when I came upon the ...
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2answers
853 views
Most effective way to put enemies to sleep?
As the title implies, I'm on a quest to find the most effective way to cause opponents to be put to sleep. Normally, this spell falls off rather abruptly in potency, but if we use a witch with the ...
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1answer
63 views
Does Sickening Entanglement gain from poison duration and fort DC for multiple doses?
When you fail the reflex save you gain the entangled condition, and then are subjected to the fort save whenever you are entangled by the spell. The spell specifically says that it is a poison ...
5
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1answer
449 views
What does it mean to cast spells from a magic item “using your spell save DC”?
This is taken from the description of the Staff of the Woodlands (emphasis added by me):
You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff's charges to cast one of the following spells from it,...
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1answer
1k views
How can PCs keep up when maneuver DCs increase so quickly?
Lots of maneuvers call for a DC of [some number]+2×[the ship's tier]. Yet as your character levels up (and your ship's tier with it), your max ranks in a given skill only increase by 1/level.
Thus, ...
22
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3answers
953 views
Who invented Difficulty Class?
As far as I can see, one of the watershed changes with D&D 3e, which has survived down into 5e, was the replacement of a plethora of different systems for determining success to a d20-roll-over ...
5
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1answer
778 views
When a druid wild shapes, what is the DC of abilities?
Under the polymorph rules
The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.
The druids wild shape ability
At 4th level, a druid gains ...
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2answers
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Perception Roll
I have a little question. My players are following a group of bandits, but the players are not hiding, they are even riding horses. They reach a beach where the 5 bandits are preparing a boat to ...
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1answer
124 views
Does a summoned swarm's Distraction use the caster's save DC or the one in the MM?
When a druid casts Insect Plague, is the save DC of the swarm's Distraction ability 12 (what's written in the MM), or is it based on the 5th level druid spell (15+ability)?
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3answers
211 views
What's the DC for climbing against a current of flooding water?
A character is climbing through a tunnel. Suddenly, water bursts through and starts flooding the tunnel, creating a dangerous current in the opposite direction as the character wants to go.
By how ...
7
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1answer
961 views
How is poison DC for monsters calculated?
I'm playing a UA ranger and have a Giant Centipede as my animal companion. I'm about to increase ability scores for it and need to know if increasing any will effect the DC of the poison.
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3answers
696 views
What's the break DC for Iron Rope?
Iron rope is a magical rope that, upon saying the command word, turns into solid iron (with no chain links). Thus, I have been trying to find an accurate break DC and Escape Artist check for breaking ...
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3answers
3k views
Do skill DCs have to be multiples of 5?
In D&D 5e, spell save DCs can be any number based on the calculation (Player's Basic Rules pp. 22, 30):
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell save DC = 8 + ...
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1answer
132 views
Are an Isitoq's Daze & Tears of Anguish the same thing?
The Isitoq, the wonderful Undead Eye available as an Improved Familiar1. It has two abilities that appear to be... the same:
Daze (Ex): An isitoq's nerves form grotesque wings. Any creature struck ...
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1answer
155 views
Do occupied squares increase Tumble DCs for an invisible creature?
Inspired by flanking the invisible.
(Every creature is size/reach 5ft./5ft.)
Picture this: The invisible creature, say Eveanthia the Elven Rogue under the influence of Greater Invisibility, wants to ...
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2answers
246 views
What is the DC to spot a ruby carried by a gremlin, from 50 feet away?
What would be the DC to spot a ruby on a gremlin from 50 feet away, assuming optimal lighting and environmental conditions? Let's say he was just holding in his hand, and the ruby is about a Grade 4 (...
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1answer
119 views
Does the DC increase of multiple iron spikes stack?
The gear Iron spikes description says:
Hammering one of these blunt, wide metal wedges between a door and its frame requires a standard action and adds 5 to the DC of checks to open the door. If ...
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1answer
2k views
What items increase spell DC, for enchantments in particular?
I was curious what items are available in pathfinder that increase the save DC of a wizard's spells. If it makes a difference, I'm looking for things that increase the DC of enchantment spells.
I'm ...
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1answer
995 views
Does Tenebrous Spell improve shadow spells?
Tenebrous Spell grants a +1 bonus to DC when casting a spell in darkness or dim light conditions. Then it goes on to say (emphasis mine)
A tenebrous spell uses up a spell Slot one level higher than ...
6
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2answers
991 views
How do I set DCs for attempted grappling kills?
What would be the DC be for crushing a creature of the same size category to death during a grapple?
What about choking another character to death during a grapple?
How do I determine DCs and what ...
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2answers
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What is the opposed check for an NPC's attempted Intimidation? [duplicate]
My group's adventurers just went and got themselves captured and enslaved by a city-state that runs Roman-style gladiatorial deathmatches. They're in the dungeons under the arena, across the hall from ...
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1answer
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How is the save DC for a Half-Dragon's breath weapon calculated?
The Half Dragon template in D&D 5e states that, "The half-dragon has
the breath weapon of its dragon half" though the sample given has a different save DC (15) than the wyrmling (13) it is based ...
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2answers
168 views
What is the reason behind hiding the difficulty level in systems that keep DCs hidden?
On one side, you have games such as Fate that show the players the difficulty level of a task, and perhaps upon an unsuccessful roll, the players can spend resources to raise their result. Then there'...
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2answers
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Do you have to beat or equal a DC?
I'm having trouble finding something to clarify this. It's been mentioned in the Difficulty Class section of the DMG (238) that there should be a 50/50 chance that an average person can succeed at a ...
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0answers
86 views
Setting DCs based on their desired impact [closed]
I'm trying to set the DC for something (poisoned caltrops spread wide across a street) which ranges from a mild annoyance (no poison) to truly dangerous (it is poisoned). I know the effect I want them ...
3
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1answer
585 views
How should one set DCs in Roll For Shoes? Do I use active or passive opposition? [duplicate]
I have yet to play RfS yet, mostly because I'm concerned about difficulties.. how do I know if that door's lockpicking DC of 5 is too much or too little? Should I use a passive or active opposition?
...
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2answers
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How does “stacking” poisons affect the poison save DC?
Most DMs and Players I have talked to agree that poisons in Pathfinder are next to useless by mid to high level due to the fact they are expensive and their DCs are easy to beat even in low levels.
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