How the DM is in theory meant to run ability checks:
1.set a DC
2. if the player rolls over it, they succeed, otherwise not
How I think everyone actually does it
1. don't set a DC
2. player rolls
3. about 10 or less is a failure
4. about 19 or more is success
5. 11-18, the DM does the thing that makes the story more interesting
or am I unusual in this?
Sounds like @sil prefers #StoryGames but is stuck with D20.
This is why #ApocalypseWorld and #MouseGuard (not uniquely, but significantly) are great. Their mechanism dispenses with “do you succeed or fail?” in favour of “do you get to say what happens, or does the GM?”
@bignose @sil I love the #mouseguard system where a check is either (a) a success, or (b) success at a cost, a status like hungry, tired, etc, or (c) another obstacle (another check).
That next check is then either (a) success, (b) success at a cost, or (c) another obstacle, and so on.
There are no dead ends!
Either you succeed (possibly with a cost), or there is more story.
