The Degrees of Success
Four-outcome resolution system where beating DC by 10+ is a Critical Success and missing by 10+ is a Critical Failure, with natural 20/1 shifting outcomes by one degree.
Every check in PF2e produces one of four outcomes based on how far the total result is from the DC.
Degrees:
- Critical Success: Beat the DC by 10 or more. Superior positive result.
- Success: Meet or beat the DC (but not by 10+). Standard positive result.
- Failure: Miss the DC (but not by 10+). Standard negative result.
- Critical Failure: Miss the DC by 10 or more. Severe negative result.
Natural 20 and Natural 1: Rolling a natural 20 improves the result by one degree (failure becomes success; success becomes critical success). Rolling a natural 1 worsens the result by one degree.
Importance of Critical Failures: Many skill checks have dramatically bad critical failure outcomes (falling off walls, breaking weapons, alerting enemies). This makes high-DC tasks risky.
Importance of Critical Successes: Many effects are dramatically better on a critical success (Treat Wounds at max HP, Athletics Grapple results in Restrained instead of Grabbed).
Spell Saves: Most harmful spells use degrees of success. Critical success means no effect; success typically means half effect; failure is full effect; critical failure is doubled or extended.
Flat Checks: Some checks (like hitting a concealed target) use a flat check with no modifiers — just roll and beat the DC. A flat check of DC 5 succeeds on 5+.