SOM: Flat check?

[Lethallin]

In the Armada combat section in the Starship Operations Manual, a few times it mentioned a DC 10 or 15 "Flat check". (Pages 60, 61, and 62).

What is a Flat Check?

[Garretmander]

It's a PF2e term, but it means, roll a d20, do not add or subtract anything from the roll. The result of the dice is the result of the roll.

[Lethallin]

So a 55% success rate and a 30% success rate regardless of any of your abilities?

Seems a little out of place when all the rest of the checks are using the associated skill based on your officer role. I'd assume these were accidents and left in unintentionally.

[Garretmander]

In PF2 they mostly replace %dice with flat checks, which are simpler and easier if everything is divisible by 5%.

Not sure if they're supposed to be used in these checks.

[Hanomir]

I have grave doubts about the terms being identical between Starfinder and Pathfinder. They're literally described as situations where only luck comes into play in PF2, where all three examples in the SOM are in the Armada Combat System and refer to checks for officer actions which definitely aren't purely up to happenstance. A highly-skilled admiral, caster, or commander should be more likely to get good results than level 1 cadet - and the commander ability in question would fail 70% of the time without modifiers, making it much better not to even try.

Until I see otherwise I'm playing these as roll d20, add Officer Bonus, compare to stated DC (of 10 or 15). That puts them at a fairly reliable success rate of 65% or 45% to start, climbing to 80% or 60% at 18th level - more, if the Admiral's encouraged you successfully. I doubt you add the fleet check modifier to any of these, since they're all officer actions, but maybe the eventual FAQ & errata will say otherwise. And boy, does SOM need some errata.