Yakk
2007-03-15, 11:08 AM
Common Sense is a class skill for every class. It is based off of Wisdom.
Use:
(Automatic) When you are about to do something dumb, the DM can roll your common sense. On success, the DM explains why it is dumb, and the probable consequence. You are free to ignore this advice.
DC varies from 10 (trying to kill the elf queen in her throne room, with unknown magical and mundane guards surrounding her, is a bad idea. You will most likely be killed instantly) on up.
The more remote the consequences and unfamiliar the surroundings, the higher the DC.
(Manual) When you forget something obvious (like buying food for your horses, keeping track of your water supply, paying rent, buying rope when you planned on splunking), you can do a common sense roll to "actually remembered to do it". You can take 10 on this roll if you are not currently in an immediately life-threatening situation.
DC is 10 for day-to-day habits (like paying for rent)
DC 15 for details of planned tasks you haven't done before (like remembering the rope)
DC 25 for something an expert could have forseen.
DC 40 if the need for the act was not reasonably forseeable.
Modifiers:
+10 DC if the act would have occurred during a plot-threatening situation. (I tossed the rent money into the jar as we where fleeing the orc attack)
+5 DC if the act involved a substantial outlay of cash (more than 10% of your liquid assets)
+5 DC for each mundane detail (of course I would buy silk rope) prescribed.
+10 or more for extraordinary details (You said you forgot to mention buying a a red silk rope that is 7'6" long, with gold wire twisted into it, and blue tassals... Uh huh.)
Additional modifiers for "I forgot to mention I bought that":
+5 DC if it is slightly bulky relative to cargo capacity (a rope, but you have a horse).
+10 DC if it is rather bulky relative to cargo capacity (a rope, and have a pack).
+20 DC if it is quite bulky relative to cargo capacity (a 10' pole, and you have a horse).
+40 DC if it is pretty ridiculously bulky to have not mentioned (a 10' pole, and you are on foot).
The above DCs are halved if no plot-threatening event has happened since the event in question. (ie, you leave the shop and go down to the tavern, and then say "hey DM, I bought a pole in that shop, I just forgot to mention it").
By default, one gets the most common varient.
Bob goes on an adventure, and the DM says "you didn't buy waterskins before going on the expedition". Bob has a wisdom of -1 and a common sense of 7.
Water is cheap, but buying extra waterskins is not a day-to-day task. It is also not that bulky. DC 15. Bob is not immediately life-threatened by his lack of water, so he can take 10. That is enough to beat the DC of 15 -- Bob can be assumed to have bought waterskins for the planned adventure length.
(Manual) You can contemplate an action, and ask for the common-sense likely outcome. This is similar to the automatic use, but the player requests to do a common-sense check on a plan of action.
Normal: If you say "I kill the elf queen", you get killed by the many magical and physical protections surrounding the 1000+ year old monarch of the most magically advanced civilization on the planet.
Reasoning: The DM saying "no, killing the elf queen is dumb, don't do it" is DM fiat. The DM having you roll one of your skills so you can get the bonus information "killing the elf queen will probably get you killed" is a player achievement, not DM railroading.
In addition, it abstracts out the "buy up all the gear you need to go adventuring" to "I go shopping for gear for the trip, then I head out". When the players need something, they can simply make common sense rolls rather than have to have an itemized list of all of their gear.
Use:
(Automatic) When you are about to do something dumb, the DM can roll your common sense. On success, the DM explains why it is dumb, and the probable consequence. You are free to ignore this advice.
DC varies from 10 (trying to kill the elf queen in her throne room, with unknown magical and mundane guards surrounding her, is a bad idea. You will most likely be killed instantly) on up.
The more remote the consequences and unfamiliar the surroundings, the higher the DC.
(Manual) When you forget something obvious (like buying food for your horses, keeping track of your water supply, paying rent, buying rope when you planned on splunking), you can do a common sense roll to "actually remembered to do it". You can take 10 on this roll if you are not currently in an immediately life-threatening situation.
DC is 10 for day-to-day habits (like paying for rent)
DC 15 for details of planned tasks you haven't done before (like remembering the rope)
DC 25 for something an expert could have forseen.
DC 40 if the need for the act was not reasonably forseeable.
Modifiers:
+10 DC if the act would have occurred during a plot-threatening situation. (I tossed the rent money into the jar as we where fleeing the orc attack)
+5 DC if the act involved a substantial outlay of cash (more than 10% of your liquid assets)
+5 DC for each mundane detail (of course I would buy silk rope) prescribed.
+10 or more for extraordinary details (You said you forgot to mention buying a a red silk rope that is 7'6" long, with gold wire twisted into it, and blue tassals... Uh huh.)
Additional modifiers for "I forgot to mention I bought that":
+5 DC if it is slightly bulky relative to cargo capacity (a rope, but you have a horse).
+10 DC if it is rather bulky relative to cargo capacity (a rope, and have a pack).
+20 DC if it is quite bulky relative to cargo capacity (a 10' pole, and you have a horse).
+40 DC if it is pretty ridiculously bulky to have not mentioned (a 10' pole, and you are on foot).
The above DCs are halved if no plot-threatening event has happened since the event in question. (ie, you leave the shop and go down to the tavern, and then say "hey DM, I bought a pole in that shop, I just forgot to mention it").
By default, one gets the most common varient.
Bob goes on an adventure, and the DM says "you didn't buy waterskins before going on the expedition". Bob has a wisdom of -1 and a common sense of 7.
Water is cheap, but buying extra waterskins is not a day-to-day task. It is also not that bulky. DC 15. Bob is not immediately life-threatened by his lack of water, so he can take 10. That is enough to beat the DC of 15 -- Bob can be assumed to have bought waterskins for the planned adventure length.
(Manual) You can contemplate an action, and ask for the common-sense likely outcome. This is similar to the automatic use, but the player requests to do a common-sense check on a plan of action.
Normal: If you say "I kill the elf queen", you get killed by the many magical and physical protections surrounding the 1000+ year old monarch of the most magically advanced civilization on the planet.
Reasoning: The DM saying "no, killing the elf queen is dumb, don't do it" is DM fiat. The DM having you roll one of your skills so you can get the bonus information "killing the elf queen will probably get you killed" is a player achievement, not DM railroading.
In addition, it abstracts out the "buy up all the gear you need to go adventuring" to "I go shopping for gear for the trip, then I head out". When the players need something, they can simply make common sense rolls rather than have to have an itemized list of all of their gear.