sorry to have diverted the main thread
Yes, my point was that having a skill or not having a skill really doesn't matter in 5e. It just means you get to add your prof. bonus if you have it.
Tungo could use an ability check to understand the Seerstone even without Arcana
Vozz can read a map without Survival
There is no un-skilled in 5e. Everyone can attempt any check and it doesn't affect the T#.
That is playing as light as possible with the skill rules. The T# is determined by how easy\medium\hard the GM thinks the task should be. The T#s never get high, because even at 20th level, prof bonus is only +6. That means that a lucky roll by an unskilled person is better than a poor roll by a skilled master. That is the part that I think is silly and poorly designed, but that's how 5e does ability checks.
GM Matt clarified that he meant Vozz couldn't read the map, not because a 19-20 was too low, but because he didn't have the Survival skill. It's his game, but I don't think that is how 5e actually works.
Yes, my point was that having a skill or not having a skill really doesn't matter in 5e. It just means you get to add your prof. bonus if you have it.
Tungo could use an ability check to understand the Seerstone even without Arcana
Vozz can read a map without Survival
There is no un-skilled in 5e. Everyone can attempt any check and it doesn't affect the T#.
That is playing as light as possible with the skill rules. The T# is determined by how easy\medium\hard the GM thinks the task should be. The T#s never get high, because even at 20th level, prof bonus is only +6. That means that a lucky roll by an unskilled person is better than a poor roll by a skilled master. That is the part that I think is silly and poorly designed, but that's how 5e does ability checks.
GM Matt clarified that he meant Vozz couldn't read the map, not because a 19-20 was too low, but because he didn't have the Survival skill. It's his game, but I don't think that is how 5e actually works.