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this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025
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Your daily reminder that"Nat 20" doesn't apply to skill or ability checks. It's applies to combat only.
It does in fact apply to skill checks and ability checks. Nat 20 just means rolling a 20 naturally on the dice before any modifiers are added :) I think what you meant was that "critical success" only applies to combat! In this instance, the natural 20 still means it's the highest possible roll for an ability checks which gives it the highest possibility of success.
Just a daily reminder that someone can always come around and surpass in pedantry. (Sorry I couldn't resist :) No hard feelings meant)
If a Nat 20 (the highest you can ever roll on a 20-sided die!) doesn't succeed, what was the point of rolling in the first place?
Generally speaking it's considered bad practice for a GM to call for rolls that literally no one in the party can succeed at, but as with anything in tabletop roleplaying there is nuance.
There could be a narrative reason for the player to not know just how difficult something is and you don't want to give it away by just telling the players they can't succeed. If the most capable member of the party rolls a 20 and fails then the "reward" is the narrative of the attempt and learning what you're up against.
Or maybe someone in the party could succeed but for whatever reason the child-prodigy wizard with a strength of 8 wants to try lifting the portcullis. It wouldn't make any sense for them to actually do it.