I am confused on where to find the DC for untrained skill checks. I am also confused on why knowledge is a trained only skill but I keep seeing that you can use is with a DC 10.
Aren't you only able to use untrained skills and you have to put a skill point in for trained only skills (i.e. knowledge arcana)?
Any and all help appreciated.
The DC for the skill check is the same for trained or untrained. Some skills are trained only meaning you can only attempt the skill if you are trained in the skill (have at least a point in the skill).
Knowledge skills are trained only unless the DC to know the fact is 10 or less. So someone not trained in Knowledge local (No skill points in it) could with a roll of 10 or greater know the location of a popular tavern, but would not get a roll to know local rumors or traditions.
The DC for the skill check is the same for trained or untrained. Some skills are trained only meaning you can only attempt the skill if you are trained in the skill (have at least a point in the skill).
Knowledge skills are trained only unless the DC to know the fact is 10 or less. So someone not trained in Knowledge local (No skill points in it) could with a roll of 10 or greater know the location of a popular tavern, but would not get a roll to know local rumors or traditions.
Where do I find the DC for skill checks?
All the DC's for skill checks are going to be listed within the Skill itself. So go to that page that Mark Hoover linked and click on each individual skill check to read about it. If you're going to be the GM, you really ought to take an hour and read through each skill thoroughly, and make mental notes of the DC's for common rolls. You don't need to memorize them, just know where to find them when it comes up. And the GM's best friend is the internet, so make sure you have a laptop or an ipad handy for looking this stuff up too. Another handy resource is your GM shield; there are some pretty fancy GM shields out there that have all these commonly-rolled DC's printed on the GM's side of the shield for quick reference. And if you don't want to buy one, then make one yourself.
If your particular situation doesn't have a "commonly-rolled" DC listed, then as the GM you just make up the DC yourself.
Of all the skill checks though, Perception is by far the most rolled skill, followed by the various Knowledge checks, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Intimidate. So make sure you invest doubly into reading the Perception rules, because they come up a lot. Acrobatics is also one that you'll want to spend some time on, because its most commonly rolled while in combat and it can determine life or death in some cases.
Although this might vary from table to table, but I've found in my own experience that this ----v section is the most commonly-forgotten or unused rules for Perception, especially the Distance to the Source and Favorable/Unfavorable/Terrible condition modifiers.
Perception Modifiers DC Modifier
Distance to the source, object, or creature +1/10 feet
Through a closed door +5
Through a wall +10/foot of thickness
Favorable conditions1 –2
Unfavorable conditions1 +2
Terrible conditions2 +5
Creature making the check is distracted +5
Creature making the check is asleep +10
Creature or object is invisible +20
Another resource of inexhaustible information is the Rules Forum itself. If you're in the middle of sesh and have a wonky situation come up in your game, you can take 3 minutes to hop in the Rules Forum and ask your question, and then press on with your sesh. Chances are high that by the time your sesh is finished, you'll have about 2-5 answers to your question already, and by your next week's sesh, it will have been fully debated and discussed by the hive mind. And then at the beginning of your next sesh, you and your players can read through the whole debate/discussion and arrive at the conclusion that fits your table the best.
As far as untrained vs. trained, the DC's are still the same, but some skills allow for untrained rolls, while other skills don't even allow you to make a check unless you're trained.
Another resource of inexhaustible information is the Rules Forum...
Thank you for all the help everyone. This clarified a lot for me.
Another resource of inexhaustible information is the Rules Forum...
For example, let's say that you come up on a situation where you're in-game and a skill check comes up that isn't necessarily a "mainstream rule" or maybe it's a series of convoluted rules, and you make up your own DC just to keep the sesh running, but you'd still like clarification about something, you can come to the Rules Forum and ask your question:
"Hey hivemind, had a situation come up in-game, it was a Tuesday with a northwesterly wind of 6-9 knots, and one of the PC's was Blinded but has the Scent ability but the target was downwind from him also in a northwesterly direction, also, they were in a forest that had a lot of twigs on the ground so the target was making noise, does that mean he can be pinpointed while blinded up to 30ft away?"
Someone would come in there and say "Scent while upwind of the target only works up to 15 feet away (and if the wind was southeasterly then the PC would be downwind of the target, so it would work up to 60ft away), and if he's trying to find where he's at based upon the sounds of twigs cracking, that is a normal Perception check (DC10 to hear a creature walking) and don't forget to add 1/10DC for each 1ft they are away from the target (so +3DC because the target is 30ft away) and possibly adding either +2 or +5 to the DC for combat noise (GM discretion, Unfavorable vs. Terrible conditions) and an additional +20 because the target is essentially treated as invisible to the blinded PC, here's some links to the applicable rules: xxxxx and yyyyy, so no your PC cannot pinpoint their location, also, he cannot "pinpoint" the target's square using Scent until he's within 5ft, he only knows a general direction once he's within 15ft while the target is downwind (or 60ft while the target is upwind) of him when he's using Scent, and attempting to ascertain a general direction is a Move Action."
