Source (Bluesky)
this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025
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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)
I love it. I'm not even mad.....well....maybe a little. Lol
Thanks for being a good sport!
Bad faith and pedantry aren't the same.
The comic very clearly implies that the nat 20 caused their dumbass character to be able to decipher the runes.
If it didn't, the player wouldn't have announced "Nat 20", but the actual score, wirth modifiers taken into account.
Nat 20 is very, very commonly used by GMs to mean "critcal success" in or out of combat, no matter the explict rule. Same goes for nat 1 being a "critical failure."
Why? Because it makes the game better for everyone to have these rare rolls rewarded or hilariously punished.
The trouble with doing that is that you end up in the stupid situation described by this comic!
I wasn't arguing in bad faith. Everything I said was factual, honest, and trustworthy. You are correct that a nat 20 caused them to be really smart and have the best chance to read the runes (nothing shows them actually reading it to be fair). This is because the nat 20 is the highest possible roll available to the player, before modifiers are added! In many instances, rolling that high passes skill checks up to "Hard" (according to the DMG) automatically unless you have some negative modifiers. With the assumption that this player was attempting something actually attainable, this high roll is translated as the character having the absolute epitome of their ability to translate the runes (whether or not it is successful.)