A good rule of thumb is simply, if i fail an attemt, can i keep trying till i succeed?
Not relevant to taking 10, though. That's for taking 20, where you have to be able to repeat the check.
Let's take a more modern example: Driving a car. Keeping the car on the road is probably something like DC 5 - easy, routine. Even without ranks in drive and average dexterity, people stay on the road all the time.
They basically take 10, because they're not rushed or distracted. And that's even though failing a drive check can very much kill you.
Problems arise if people are distracted or rushed. That's when people have accidents. But not with easy stuff.
Taking 10 should only be allowed in a skill you have ranks in.That's not what the PRD says. . .
Ability Checks and Caster Level Checks: The normal take 10 and take 20 rules apply for ability checks. Neither rule applies to concentration checks or caster level checks.If you have no ranks in acrobatics, you can still take 10 on the Dexterity ability check.
Now if the skill is trained only -- then you typically can't roll a check anyway q: Or it's a DC you can accomplish with a take 10. . . DC 10 usually. . .
I didn't say that was what the rules said.
Had that been what I said, I'd have said 'You can't'.
I said 'you should' as in, I believe you should only be able to.
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You can't take 20 if you can fail -- typically on an opposed roll you can fail.
Correction: you can't take 20 if there is a penalty for failure.
You can take 20 on a Disable Device check to pick a lock, even if you fail, because failing means the lock is still unpicked.
You CAN'T take 20 on a Climb check because failing a climb check means you fall (and the wall is still unclimbed).
*shakes fist* You kids get off my wall! It's unclimbed, and I want to keep it that way!
I'm in no rush, and have a 3-10 ft gap to clear.
Can I spend my time seeing how far I can jump on safe ground, rest up, get rest, jump into the air, practice using my feather fall if need be even to make the check.
Yes, yes I can. Taking 10.. It's that simple.
-Marks the ground with lines and then starts practicing my jumps-
I'm in no rush, and have a 3-10 ft gap to clear.
Can I spend my time seeing how far I can jump on safe ground, rest up, get rest, jump into the air, practice using my feather fall if need be even to make the check.
Yes, yes I can. Taking 10.. It's that simple.
-Marks the ground with lines and then starts practicing my jumps-
Makes perfect sense to me, especially if one has ranks in Acrobatics. I went to a circus recently, and it was obvious that the acrobats, stunt bikers, etc. knew exactly what their limitations were. If they were PF characters, I would bet that they were all taking 10 when doing their stunts (if not, the high-wire act would undoubtedly result in a far more interesting, albeit less child-appropriate, performance).
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In my games I GM, I do not allow it for jumping anything that could get you hurt or killed. Hesitation from self-doubt or some random events can hinder your attempt. I know if I was jumping from one side of a 5 foot cave gap to another where I could not see the bottom of the hole, I would be a little worried. That sense of self-preservation may invoke some doubts.
In my games I GM, I do not allow it for jumping anything that could get you hurt or killed. Hesitation from self-doubt or some random events can hinder your attempt. I know if I was jumping from one side of a 5 foot cave gap to another where I could not see the bottom of the hole, I would be a little worried. That sense of self-preservation may invoke some doubts.
I see where you're coming from, but i don't believe your supposition is supported by the rules, and I know from personal experience that its' not always supported by real life experience. Out in Amarillo, I've jumped across 4 - 8 foot gaps where the fall is somewhere between 40 and 80 feet to the rocks beneath. Now, i realize i'm kind of an athletic person, and my experience in track, football, and basketball tells me that i can make the jump easily. I wasn't all that scared of failure. I mean, it was exhilarating, and i agree that exhilaration comes from an amount of fear, but that didn't affect my ability to make the jumps easily and repeatedly.
I would say this breaks down to me at least having a few ranks in acrobatics (for my sports background) and a decent dex (again, for being an athlete since childhood). But at no point was i distracted by the thought that I could fall. Cause experience told me i wouldn't. This to me means i should be able to take 10 on these jumps.
Now, had there been a lot of loose rocks under my feet when jumping or landing, or someone trying to knock me down at the time, or even a huge rush of air before i made my jump, that distraction would throw an element of "oh crap!" into the mixture and break my confidence and routine.
Under these circumstances, i would say that a regular roll is called for.
That's just me, though, and i realize that many people don't see it this way.
You can't take 20 if you can fail -- typically on an opposed roll you can fail.Correction: you can't take 20 if there is a penalty for failure.
You can take 20 on a Disable Device check to pick a lock, even if you fail, because failing means the lock is still unpicked.
You CAN'T take 20 on a Climb check because failing a climb check means you fall (and the wall is still unclimbed).
No argument there (: I was talking about opposed rolls -- like the opposed Charisma ability checks in the charm person spell. You normally wouldn't be able to take 20 on that check -- retries are not allowed. However, if you're not rushed or threatened, you should be able to take 10.