Checks

When success isn't certain—whether you're firing a laser pistol at a sentry robot, attempting to balance on a moving conveyor belt, or straining to remember the name of the ambassador's pet squox at a soiree—you attempt a check. All types of checks, from skill checks to attack rolls to saving throws, follow these basic steps. Roll a d20 and identify the modifiers, bonuses, and penalties that apply. Calculate the result. Compare to the DC. Determine the degree of success and the effect. Checks and Difficulty Classes (DCs) both come in many forms. When you fire your laser pistol at that sentry robot, you make an attack roll against its Armor Class, which is the DC to hit another creature. As you try to balance on that conveyor belt, you attempt an Acrobatics skill check with a DC based on the terrain you're traversing. When calling to mind the name of the ambassador's pet squox, you attempt a check to Recall Knowledge. You might use either the Society skill or a Lore skill you have that's relevant to the task, and the DC depends on how common the knowledge of the pet's name might be, or possibly how many drinks your character had when the ambassador showed them the pet's infosphere page the night before. No matter the details, for any check you must roll the d20 and achieve a result equal to or greater than the DC to succeed. Each of these steps is explained below. Flat Checks When the likelihood something will happen or fail to happen is based purely on chance, you'll attempt a flat check. A flat check never includes any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties—you just roll a d20 and compare the result on the die to the DC. Only abilities that specifically apply to flat checks can change the checks' DCs; most such effects affect only certain types of flat checks. If more than one flat check would ever cause or prevent the same thing, just roll once and use the highest DC. In the rare circumstance that a flat check has a DC of 1 or lower, skip rolling; you automatically succeed. Conversely, if one ever has a DC of 21 or higher, you automatically fail. Secret Checks Sometimes you as the player shouldn't know the exact result and effect of a check. In these situations, the rules (or the GM) will call for a secret check. The secret trait appears on anything that uses secret checks. This type of check uses the same formulas you normally would use for that check, but is rolled by the GM, who doesn't reveal the result. Instead, the GM simply describes the information or effects determined by the check's result. If you don't know a secret check is happening (for instance, if the GM rolls a secret Fortitude save against a poison that you failed to notice), you can't use any fortune or misfortune abilities (see the sidebar here) on that check, but if a fortune or misfortune effect would apply automatically, the GM applies it to the secret check. If you know that the GM is attempting a secret check—as often happens with Recall Knowledge or Seek—you can usually activate fortune or misfortune abilities for that check. Just tell the GM, and they'll apply the ability to the check. The GM can choose to make any check secret, even if it's not usually rolled secretly. Conversely, the GM can let you roll any check yourself, even if that check would usually be secret. Some groups find it simpler to have players roll all secret checks and just try to avoid acting on any out-of-character knowledge, while others enjoy the mystery.