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Difference between giving Advantage and reducing a DC
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I run a 5e campaign, and I like rewarding my players for thinking outside the box, roleplaying well, etc. Suppose we have the following scenario:
Violet is a bard, and is attempting to intimidate a city guard while they are alone. The nearby torches suddenly dim and flicker uncertainly. Various objects shake violently and fly about the room, crashing into the walls, tables, and each other. Violet makes a wonderfully scary and venomous threat to the guard.
Violet’s use of fun bard spells and the good roleplaying was great, and I want to reward her player on the Intimidation roll.
I see two possible ways to do this:
- Grant the player advantage on whatever roll they’re making
- Reduce the DC of the check (but by how much?)
How do these two methods differ from one another? Are there scenarios when one is preferred over the other?
dnd-5e gm-techniques
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I run a 5e campaign, and I like rewarding my players for thinking outside the box, roleplaying well, etc. Suppose we have the following scenario:
Violet is a bard, and is attempting to intimidate a city guard while they are alone. The nearby torches suddenly dim and flicker uncertainly. Various objects shake violently and fly about the room, crashing into the walls, tables, and each other. Violet makes a wonderfully scary and venomous threat to the guard.
Violet’s use of fun bard spells and the good roleplaying was great, and I want to reward her player on the Intimidation roll.
I see two possible ways to do this:
- Grant the player advantage on whatever roll they’re making
- Reduce the DC of the check (but by how much?)
How do these two methods differ from one another? Are there scenarios when one is preferred over the other?
dnd-5e gm-techniques
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I run a 5e campaign, and I like rewarding my players for thinking outside the box, roleplaying well, etc. Suppose we have the following scenario:
Violet is a bard, and is attempting to intimidate a city guard while they are alone. The nearby torches suddenly dim and flicker uncertainly. Various objects shake violently and fly about the room, crashing into the walls, tables, and each other. Violet makes a wonderfully scary and venomous threat to the guard.
Violet’s use of fun bard spells and the good roleplaying was great, and I want to reward her player on the Intimidation roll.
I see two possible ways to do this:
- Grant the player advantage on whatever roll they’re making
- Reduce the DC of the check (but by how much?)
How do these two methods differ from one another? Are there scenarios when one is preferred over the other?
dnd-5e gm-techniques
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
I run a 5e campaign, and I like rewarding my players for thinking outside the box, roleplaying well, etc. Suppose we have the following scenario:
Violet is a bard, and is attempting to intimidate a city guard while they are alone. The nearby torches suddenly dim and flicker uncertainly. Various objects shake violently and fly about the room, crashing into the walls, tables, and each other. Violet makes a wonderfully scary and venomous threat to the guard.
Violet’s use of fun bard spells and the good roleplaying was great, and I want to reward her player on the Intimidation roll.
I see two possible ways to do this:
- Grant the player advantage on whatever roll they’re making
- Reduce the DC of the check (but by how much?)
How do these two methods differ from one another? Are there scenarios when one is preferred over the other?
dnd-5e gm-techniques
dnd-5e gm-techniques
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
edited 17 mins ago
T.J.L.
26.3k381141
26.3k381141
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
asked 35 mins ago
Santana Afton
24817
24817
@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago
add a comment |Â
@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago
@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
Just give advantage
I’ll get to the math in a minute, but the math really should be moot: there is no guidance for altering DCs based on PC actions because the point of the advantage mechanic is to eliminate the hundreds of ways of tweaking situational probability.
Advantage (and disadvantage) exist entirely to handle exactly these sorts of situations. Avoiding using it is fine if you’re into homebrewing your game rules, but if you’re wanting to just use the methods the game provides, give advantage.
The math, in very brief
Advantage is equivalent in reducing a DC by 5… on average. How much advantage is worth actually depends on what your original DC and roll bonus are, because the probabilities for two dice and picking the better is a curve instead of a straight line.
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
This is partly DM prerogative, but the Dungeon Master's guide does give handy guidelines.
The DC is typically more of a fixed thing, representing the difficulty of the task (though still set by the rules or the DM). For arbitrary tasks it gives some examples such as:
Easy = 10, Medium = 15, Hard = 20
However, the DMs guide speaks of advantage and disadvantage. There it says:
They reflect temporary circumstances that might affect the chances of
a character succeeding or failing at a task. Advantage is also a great
way to reward a player who shows exceptional creativity in play.
This quote sounds like it answers your question.
Giving advantage avoids any issues of trying to add up or subtract a whole bunch of DC modifiers; it is much more straightforward.
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Advantage is the usual way
DnD 5e seldom uses situational modifiers to rolls. Advantage is the usual way for the system to describe something is particularly easy because of some circumstance. Advantage is more conventional than lowering the DC, and your players are more likely to be used to it than changing modifiers or DCs.
Advantage is more transparent
Unless you tell the player that the DC has changed, they won't know their cool plan had any effect. Advantage on the roll is transparent and serves as a good reward for playing the character's strengths well.
Advantage affects the numbers more smoothly
Having advantage on a roll squares your chance of failure. Importantly, this means failure never becomes impossible because of advantage. Lowering the DC or granting a bonus modifier is just a flat decrease in the failure chance of five percent points per point of DC decreased - and notably, this can reduce the chance of failure to zero (especially if the Bard in question has Expertise in Intimidation).
Overall, Advantage is the way to go. It's clear, it's the usual way to do it in 5e, and it changes the probabilities smoother than changing the DC.
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
Just give advantage
I’ll get to the math in a minute, but the math really should be moot: there is no guidance for altering DCs based on PC actions because the point of the advantage mechanic is to eliminate the hundreds of ways of tweaking situational probability.
Advantage (and disadvantage) exist entirely to handle exactly these sorts of situations. Avoiding using it is fine if you’re into homebrewing your game rules, but if you’re wanting to just use the methods the game provides, give advantage.
The math, in very brief
Advantage is equivalent in reducing a DC by 5… on average. How much advantage is worth actually depends on what your original DC and roll bonus are, because the probabilities for two dice and picking the better is a curve instead of a straight line.
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
Just give advantage
I’ll get to the math in a minute, but the math really should be moot: there is no guidance for altering DCs based on PC actions because the point of the advantage mechanic is to eliminate the hundreds of ways of tweaking situational probability.
Advantage (and disadvantage) exist entirely to handle exactly these sorts of situations. Avoiding using it is fine if you’re into homebrewing your game rules, but if you’re wanting to just use the methods the game provides, give advantage.
The math, in very brief
Advantage is equivalent in reducing a DC by 5… on average. How much advantage is worth actually depends on what your original DC and roll bonus are, because the probabilities for two dice and picking the better is a curve instead of a straight line.
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
Just give advantage
I’ll get to the math in a minute, but the math really should be moot: there is no guidance for altering DCs based on PC actions because the point of the advantage mechanic is to eliminate the hundreds of ways of tweaking situational probability.
Advantage (and disadvantage) exist entirely to handle exactly these sorts of situations. Avoiding using it is fine if you’re into homebrewing your game rules, but if you’re wanting to just use the methods the game provides, give advantage.
The math, in very brief
Advantage is equivalent in reducing a DC by 5… on average. How much advantage is worth actually depends on what your original DC and roll bonus are, because the probabilities for two dice and picking the better is a curve instead of a straight line.
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
Just give advantage
I’ll get to the math in a minute, but the math really should be moot: there is no guidance for altering DCs based on PC actions because the point of the advantage mechanic is to eliminate the hundreds of ways of tweaking situational probability.
Advantage (and disadvantage) exist entirely to handle exactly these sorts of situations. Avoiding using it is fine if you’re into homebrewing your game rules, but if you’re wanting to just use the methods the game provides, give advantage.
The math, in very brief
Advantage is equivalent in reducing a DC by 5… on average. How much advantage is worth actually depends on what your original DC and roll bonus are, because the probabilities for two dice and picking the better is a curve instead of a straight line.
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
answered 23 mins ago
SevenSidedDie♦
200k26638918
200k26638918
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
This is partly DM prerogative, but the Dungeon Master's guide does give handy guidelines.
The DC is typically more of a fixed thing, representing the difficulty of the task (though still set by the rules or the DM). For arbitrary tasks it gives some examples such as:
Easy = 10, Medium = 15, Hard = 20
However, the DMs guide speaks of advantage and disadvantage. There it says:
They reflect temporary circumstances that might affect the chances of
a character succeeding or failing at a task. Advantage is also a great
way to reward a player who shows exceptional creativity in play.
This quote sounds like it answers your question.
Giving advantage avoids any issues of trying to add up or subtract a whole bunch of DC modifiers; it is much more straightforward.
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
This is partly DM prerogative, but the Dungeon Master's guide does give handy guidelines.
The DC is typically more of a fixed thing, representing the difficulty of the task (though still set by the rules or the DM). For arbitrary tasks it gives some examples such as:
Easy = 10, Medium = 15, Hard = 20
However, the DMs guide speaks of advantage and disadvantage. There it says:
They reflect temporary circumstances that might affect the chances of
a character succeeding or failing at a task. Advantage is also a great
way to reward a player who shows exceptional creativity in play.
This quote sounds like it answers your question.
Giving advantage avoids any issues of trying to add up or subtract a whole bunch of DC modifiers; it is much more straightforward.
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
This is partly DM prerogative, but the Dungeon Master's guide does give handy guidelines.
The DC is typically more of a fixed thing, representing the difficulty of the task (though still set by the rules or the DM). For arbitrary tasks it gives some examples such as:
Easy = 10, Medium = 15, Hard = 20
However, the DMs guide speaks of advantage and disadvantage. There it says:
They reflect temporary circumstances that might affect the chances of
a character succeeding or failing at a task. Advantage is also a great
way to reward a player who shows exceptional creativity in play.
This quote sounds like it answers your question.
Giving advantage avoids any issues of trying to add up or subtract a whole bunch of DC modifiers; it is much more straightforward.
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
This is partly DM prerogative, but the Dungeon Master's guide does give handy guidelines.
The DC is typically more of a fixed thing, representing the difficulty of the task (though still set by the rules or the DM). For arbitrary tasks it gives some examples such as:
Easy = 10, Medium = 15, Hard = 20
However, the DMs guide speaks of advantage and disadvantage. There it says:
They reflect temporary circumstances that might affect the chances of
a character succeeding or failing at a task. Advantage is also a great
way to reward a player who shows exceptional creativity in play.
This quote sounds like it answers your question.
Giving advantage avoids any issues of trying to add up or subtract a whole bunch of DC modifiers; it is much more straightforward.
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
answered 18 mins ago
PJRZ
5,7931433
5,7931433
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
Wow. A downvote within seconds of answering.
– PJRZ
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Advantage is the usual way
DnD 5e seldom uses situational modifiers to rolls. Advantage is the usual way for the system to describe something is particularly easy because of some circumstance. Advantage is more conventional than lowering the DC, and your players are more likely to be used to it than changing modifiers or DCs.
Advantage is more transparent
Unless you tell the player that the DC has changed, they won't know their cool plan had any effect. Advantage on the roll is transparent and serves as a good reward for playing the character's strengths well.
Advantage affects the numbers more smoothly
Having advantage on a roll squares your chance of failure. Importantly, this means failure never becomes impossible because of advantage. Lowering the DC or granting a bonus modifier is just a flat decrease in the failure chance of five percent points per point of DC decreased - and notably, this can reduce the chance of failure to zero (especially if the Bard in question has Expertise in Intimidation).
Overall, Advantage is the way to go. It's clear, it's the usual way to do it in 5e, and it changes the probabilities smoother than changing the DC.
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Advantage is the usual way
DnD 5e seldom uses situational modifiers to rolls. Advantage is the usual way for the system to describe something is particularly easy because of some circumstance. Advantage is more conventional than lowering the DC, and your players are more likely to be used to it than changing modifiers or DCs.
Advantage is more transparent
Unless you tell the player that the DC has changed, they won't know their cool plan had any effect. Advantage on the roll is transparent and serves as a good reward for playing the character's strengths well.
Advantage affects the numbers more smoothly
Having advantage on a roll squares your chance of failure. Importantly, this means failure never becomes impossible because of advantage. Lowering the DC or granting a bonus modifier is just a flat decrease in the failure chance of five percent points per point of DC decreased - and notably, this can reduce the chance of failure to zero (especially if the Bard in question has Expertise in Intimidation).
Overall, Advantage is the way to go. It's clear, it's the usual way to do it in 5e, and it changes the probabilities smoother than changing the DC.
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Advantage is the usual way
DnD 5e seldom uses situational modifiers to rolls. Advantage is the usual way for the system to describe something is particularly easy because of some circumstance. Advantage is more conventional than lowering the DC, and your players are more likely to be used to it than changing modifiers or DCs.
Advantage is more transparent
Unless you tell the player that the DC has changed, they won't know their cool plan had any effect. Advantage on the roll is transparent and serves as a good reward for playing the character's strengths well.
Advantage affects the numbers more smoothly
Having advantage on a roll squares your chance of failure. Importantly, this means failure never becomes impossible because of advantage. Lowering the DC or granting a bonus modifier is just a flat decrease in the failure chance of five percent points per point of DC decreased - and notably, this can reduce the chance of failure to zero (especially if the Bard in question has Expertise in Intimidation).
Overall, Advantage is the way to go. It's clear, it's the usual way to do it in 5e, and it changes the probabilities smoother than changing the DC.
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
Advantage is the usual way
DnD 5e seldom uses situational modifiers to rolls. Advantage is the usual way for the system to describe something is particularly easy because of some circumstance. Advantage is more conventional than lowering the DC, and your players are more likely to be used to it than changing modifiers or DCs.
Advantage is more transparent
Unless you tell the player that the DC has changed, they won't know their cool plan had any effect. Advantage on the roll is transparent and serves as a good reward for playing the character's strengths well.
Advantage affects the numbers more smoothly
Having advantage on a roll squares your chance of failure. Importantly, this means failure never becomes impossible because of advantage. Lowering the DC or granting a bonus modifier is just a flat decrease in the failure chance of five percent points per point of DC decreased - and notably, this can reduce the chance of failure to zero (especially if the Bard in question has Expertise in Intimidation).
Overall, Advantage is the way to go. It's clear, it's the usual way to do it in 5e, and it changes the probabilities smoother than changing the DC.
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
answered 6 mins ago
kviiri
29.2k6110177
29.2k6110177
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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@GarretGang Don’t answer in comments.
– SevenSidedDie♦
31 mins ago
Related (possible duplicate) on How does rolling two dice and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
– NautArch
21 mins ago