Here is How I handle Skills Now

For most of my time as a Dungeon Master calling for Skill rolls was my default position, it wasn't until the last few years that I began to take the good advice in many RPGs and apply it to my Dungeons and Dragons and OSR campaigns.

It started simple enough when a Rogue asked about information related to a nation and rolled a 2 on their History check. We all groaned and laughed but then the player said, "I live here and am trained in History shouldn't my character just know that?"

I'm going to assume that this argument very well could have begun the moment a player failed a check the DM asked them to make going all the way back to Braunstein. We've all been there, right? Excitement for a scene and then a bad roll blunts momentum. Sure, you can blame the rules or you can take a good hard look at how you run your game.

The Rogue's player had a point and honestly, there was no reason for them not to know that information, in fact, looking back how often did I muddy the waters on something I wanted or needed the players to know because of a failed die roll? How much extra work did I create for myself and the players? Or worse, how often did I dampen a player's excitement in my game?

The next time the Rogue asked a question related to their History Proficiency I said, "there is no need to roll because your training means you know X". The player was happier and the game didn't hit a speed bump, in fact, I made it became my default assumption if Proficient and things were going really well.

But if something's going really well that means I have to analyze it right? I can't just let it be. If I was willing to eschew failure and default to success and other modern RPGs were dealing with quality of success could I emulate that as well?

The next next time the Rogue asked a question related to their History Proficiency my answer was "You know X but if you want to know Y roll for it".

Hexenburg: A Shadowdark Megadungeon

The Hexagon has become Hexenburg and I've run the first session. I built the Ground Floor of the dungeon using Donjon.gin.sh and I learned that the Player version of a level INCLUDES Secret Rooms so I've definitely learned a lesson there. The players made it about a quarter of the way through the Ground Floor before discovering a short cut to a sub-level (the Enchantment School Lab four levels below) but were scared off because they encountered a Hook Horror and an Umber Hulk fighting each other viciously.

Session 2 will pick up with them returning to the Ground Floor.

The expedition is being organized and financed by Zebulon of Tane who worked at the Library of Davion on the border of Ving and Borgia. He is looking for any and all books the delvers find and 30% of any treasure. Several member of the group are suspicious of him.

I had seven players and I think most will return for the next session in January.