PCs trying to metagame navigation checks

[cthulhudarren]

If the PCs are sailing on a boat; 3 have the necessary skills (knowledge geography) and professions sailor, can each of them make separate navigation checks, compare them against each other, then if they don't agree, re-do the skill check until they all agree? So they can almost never get lost!

I say that is BS, but is it by-the-book rules?

[hogarth]

You can't retry a failed Knowledge check:

"Try Again
No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in the first place."

They can certainly compare opinions (i.e. skill check results), of course.

[lynora]

They could also pick someone to make the rolls and have the other two aid another. That would probably be the least time consuming way to go about it.

[Snorter]

This is exactly the sort of situation that calls for the DM to roll the checks.
Better still, DM rolls this stuff between sessions. Then the players don't see the DM go "Errrrr....after a day, you find yourself.....errrrm.....<roll>...", and start looking at the map, wondering where they end up.

But yes, even then, if several people have the skill, they should be able to take a vote on it, but they shouldn't be able to abuse the knowledge of who rolled high. Could be the guy with most ranks, and the loudest voice, missed some clue (ie rolled poor).

PS: Hi there, lynora! Thanks for the fav on 'Bikiki Machine 2000'!

[Tronos]

I think Lynora has it here.

If a disagreement ensues, I would use the other interaction checks (diplomacy etc) to see who was more convincing.

For example, of the three PC's the first rolls 18, the second 11 and the last 8. Use those numbers to impose a bonus or penalty to the diplomacy rolls. Whoever gets the highest gets his/her way by convincing the others of their superior knowledge.

[lynora]

Snorter wrote:

PS: Hi there, lynora! Thanks for the fav on 'Bikiki Machine 2000'!

You're welcome. I think that one is one of the best I've seen so far.

[Krome]

I think the way I would handle it is to say...

"Okay, the three of you compare notes and argue about the situation. In the end you decide to take your bearings again and work together. Two of you will Aid Another and one will be the primary skill check. However, to prevent additional metagaming, this once I will make the rolls in secret and give you the final results. Or, since you cannot be trusted to not metagame, I can just make all of your skill checks in the future. Your choice."

[cthulhudarren]

Right now I think the best way is to

1) make all the rolls in secret
2) NO rerolls.
3) encourage one roll and aid another, BUT there has to be a limit to how many people can aid another on this check.

I'm assuming that each person, regardless of his roll (success or failure) will be equally passionate about their results.

[Xaaon of Xen'Drik]

alternately, the one with the highest roll could point out the errors in the lower results...

"No we're not heading north, look at the location of the moss on the trees."

"We're off-course, by keeping the Rovagug constellation to our starboard, at this latitude, that will keep us on course..."

[Molten Dragon]

Navigation by committee, only PCs would think of that. I would have it turn out like most committee work. Many wasted hours talking about it, followed by long stretches of no action and finally letting the guy with the lowest navigation skill make the roll.

I would probably let one person of their choice make the roll with the others adding the aid another bonus with no "try again" rolls.

MD

[Luna eladrin]

Let the one with the most skill points roll the check, and let the others only roll aid another checks. After all there can only be one captain (and one navigator) on a ship.

[Rezdave]

lynora wrote:

pick someone to make the rolls and have the other two aid another.

I allow my Players both options. Depending upon the circumstances they occasionally find it better to roll separately. With Gather Info it means they can canvas more parts of town or with Search it means they cover more area, the result in either case being a lowered chance of "rare" information but a broader and faster accounting for general info.

In the case of navigation, I'd suggest the Aid Another option. A +2 or so isn't much if your best guy rolls poorly, and I occasionally have PCs with similarly good numbers, so I decided to sweeten the pot with Extreme Aid Success.

Basically, the DC for AA is 15. For each 5 points rolled over that, an additional +1 is added to the bonus. With my party now sometimes adjusting in the 30s, this means they routinely add +3 to +5 on an Aid Another check, which is a lot of incentive to use this mechanic more frequently. It also is fun because it gives them a much greater chance of finding that rare clue to a mystery or whatever w/o DM contrivance.

FWIW,

Rez