That’s a better way to put it. It’s fun to have critical failures as much as critical successes. Especially when it’s something that the character making the check on should easily handle.
“While normally, this lock would pose no challenge for you, in your confidence you did not notice the pebble on the floor, which causes you to trip and break your lock picking tools when you fall on top of them.”
In your haste to investigate the desk you fling open the desk’s drawer to find it empty except a small stain of blood. Upon further inspection you notice a dagger shaped letter opener protruding from your thigh. The blood stain is related. You take one piercing damage.
Best DMs did “whimsical” failures and successes.
That’s a better way to put it. It’s fun to have critical failures as much as critical successes. Especially when it’s something that the character making the check on should easily handle.
“While normally, this lock would pose no challenge for you, in your confidence you did not notice the pebble on the floor, which causes you to trip and break your lock picking tools when you fall on top of them.”
If the action is something that can never fail, there shouldn’t be a skill check.
You don’t roll dice on sitting down at a table, so if you are a perfect lock picker who always succeeds at picking locks, no dice should be thrown.
The Lockpicking Lawyer doesn’t play with dice either.
Yessss!!!
In your haste to investigate the desk you fling open the desk’s drawer to find it empty except a small stain of blood. Upon further inspection you notice a dagger shaped letter opener protruding from your thigh. The blood stain is related. You take one piercing damage.