What all can you take 10 on?

[danzibr]

And before anyone says so, I googled "giantitp take 10" and didn't get much.

The SRD (I don't have my books on me atm) wasn't much help. It seems to me like for some checks you shouldn't be able to take 10 (knowledge comes to mind). But say someone is dying and you need to make a heal check. Would that be considered rushed or threatened (well, not threatened)? Or something like spot. I think of spot as an unconscious thing.

[Yora]

On skills, you can take 10 when you are not threatened or distracted. Taking 20 only works when there are no negative consequences from a failure that would make it impossible to try again.
Ability checks are basically skill checks without any skill ranks, so the same restrictions apply.

[Cog]

Taking ten is basically when you have a change to take a deep breath beforehand, clear your mind, and then get to it. You're not as likely to accidentally do something stupid, but you would get that flash-in-the-pan brilliance, either. Taking ten on a Knowledge check - thinking back to your high school biology class, perhaps - is perfectly fine.

As for rushed/threatened... the qualifier in the text is "threatened or distracted", so being rushed wouldn't matter (but first aid wouldn't be a case of it anyway; that's a standard use of the Heal skill, as opposed to making a rushed Diplomacy check as a full-round action). If you are not being threatened, you might be distracted by a nearby event; if the DM determines that this is the case, you are still entitled to a Concentration check to not be distracted and so to take 10 on your Heal check.

Spot is given rules for making active checks, so it is explicitly not solely a passive ability. Taking 10 makes no statement requiring active skills only, either.

[Psyren]

Neither of you have really answered the OP's question; he wants to know which skills you aren't allowed to take 10 with.

@OP: In the SRD, the only ones I can find are UMD/UPD, and Swim checks in stormy water. Basically, unless a skill explicitly says you can't take 10, that means you can - this includes both Knowledge and Heal. (Standard restrictions apply i.e. being threatened/distracted.)

[ericgrau]

[digs through rules notes] I'd say it is practical on bluff, balance, climb, disable device, disguise, forgery, handle animal, heal, hide, jump, move silently, open lock, maybe ride, search, sleight of hand, survival, swim. Spot and listen when on watch.

Given that "either you know something or you don't" is RAW and you thus only get one try on knowledge checks, I think using it on knowledge is a bit of a stretch. I know there isn't technically any rule against it, but it strains believability. Let's say you take a deep breath and calmly think of something that you know. You know it and always knew it, ok so far. You can't roll again so there's no changing that. Now what if you rolled instead and failed on a roll of a 4? You can't reroll or calmly think about it to try to take a 10 after that. You don't know it and never knew it. Wait, what?

[Koury]

Given that "either you know something or you don't" is RAW (and thus you can't reroll knowledge checks, or even take a 10 after you've rolled once), I think using it on knowledge is a bit of a stretch. I know there isn't technically any rule against it, but it strains believability.

I disagree about it straining believability. A level one Druid with a maxed K: Nature skill only having a ~75% chance of knowing what a deer (or chicken or fox or owl or any other animal of about 1 HD) is straining believability.

[ericgrau]

2 problems do not make a solution, or something like that.

There's a difference between common knowledge and the migratory and hunting patterns of an owl. Heck everyone probably knows what a troll is too without the knowledge check. It's the details that you roll for.

[Koury]

2 problems do not make a solution, or something like that.

There's a difference between common knowledge and the migratory and hunting patterns of an owl. Heck everyone probably knows what a troll is too without the knowledge check. It's the details that you roll for.

You roll for both. (ETA: Refering to "identifying" and "details")


In many cases, you can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster.

For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.


DC 10 check to know what a chicken is. Success also will let you know it lays eggs. DC 15 and you know that males are called hens (or whatever other chicken related fact you feel like adding :smalltongue:)

[Psyren]

DC 15 and you know that males are called hens (or whatever other chicken related fact you feel like adding :smalltongue:)

Someone failed his own knowledge check, apparently :smallwink:

[ericgrau]

You roll for both.
Common knowledge is a DC 0-10 int check though. You might fail to remember anything you learned about them in school and call the males hens :smalltongue:, but otherwise you only need the higher DC knowledge checks for pheasants. Might as well try the lower DC check when you have the option.

[Necroticplague]

You roll for both. (ETA: Refering to "identifying" and "details")



DC 10 check to know what a chicken is. Success also will let you know it lays eggs. DC 15 and you know that males are called hens (or whatever other chicken related fact you feel like adding :smalltongue:)

No, that's the info you get when you fail the knowledge check.

[Ashtagon]

Rolling the Knowledge check -- spur of the moment answer.

Take 10 -- you take a moment to clear your thoughts of all the detritus that crowds your stream-of-consciousness before answering.

Hmm, maybe that doesn't quite work.

Personally, I'd just say that if you have any ranks in Knowledge, you can take 10 on DC 10 or lower Knowledge checks.

[magic9mushroom]

I'd say that Knowledge should always be take 10, apart from specific things like archivist abilities.

[CTrees]

Think of taking a test in school. You answer everything, go back and double check your work, and see that you made a few stupid mistakes, and change your answers before you hand it in.

For a D&D character, this is impossible, given the way knowledge skills work (unless you level up mid-test, letting you re-try the knowledge check).

...

Really, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to take 10 on a knowledge check. In Real Life, being overly distracted *is* likely to make you give an answer like "male chickens are called hens," despite what answers you could quickly produce if *not* distracted, in the same timeframe. D&D's "that IS your final answer!" thing is what strains credibility, for me. I don't have a good solution, though... maybe increase the DC a point or two for every re-check?

[ericgrau]

Well D&D RAW says you either know something or you don't. That's more of you know it but you don't remember it. You could give a -2 penalty in stressful situations, then if you fail by 2 or less you remember it later.

[Koury]

Someone failed his own knowledge check, apparently :smallwink:


No, that's the info you get when you fail the knowledge check.

Haha, I feel silly. :smallbiggrin:


In Real Life, being overly distracted *is* likely to make you give an answer like "male chickens are called hens," despite what answers you could quickly produce if *not* distracted, in the same timeframe.

Like almost being off work on a holiday, for example? [/makingexcuses] :smallredface: