Setting DC's is NOT COMPLICATED in Pathfinder 2nd Edition!

How dare you roll against me. I didn't even realize we were playing. Alright, you win for now.

So is the level of the task the party level? How do you determine if it’s a lv 3 locked door vs a lv 8 or lv 15?

Rewatching some older videos as I go into the final book of Extinction Curse and begin thinking about any changes I want to make for things going forward into Agents of Edgewatch. I typically do a standard level DC. but then decide if it's a normal DC for the level, it's easy so I subtract 2, if it's really easy then subtract 5. And same for something being more difficult or very difficult

Sellout archetype 😂 love it

Shit he got a crit guess I subscribe now

FYI for anyone who wants the exact formula (and is ok with 5th grade math):

14 + Level + (Level / 3) Rounded Down

In other words, 14 plus level plus 1 every 3 levels. This is the exact formula through level 21. Levels 22-25 add 2 per level. But by the time you’re there, you know this like the back of your hand, right? 🤪

Set it right before he lock picks the door

Lvl 1 Char: I want to eat that sandwich!! DM: DC 15 to eat the sandwich. Player: WTF?
Lvl 15 Char: I want to eat that sandwich!! DM: DC 45 to eat that sandwich. Player: pulls knife on DM.

What the heck is a level 15 door? A steel reinforced door with a magic lock designed by a dwarven locksmith master? No seriously... Where does one find a level 15 door? What about a level 15 stealth vs a level 1 check? Super alert high level monster vs a drunk half sleeping orc? More guidance on this for Adnd2 (1986 to 1996) refugee would be appreciated.

But how do you determine the level of the task? Obviously the difference between a tavern door lock and a dungeon door lock is obvious, but determining the specific number that the level should be is what I'm still not understanding.

I failed my dc I had to like the video, HELP! :D

My method s much more easier. Foret about the DC. Have him roll and look at the dice. Did he roll 9 or under without modifiers? tell him he failed. Did he roll over 15, tell him he succeded. Is it between those numbers? if his modifier is good tell him he succeded and if it's bad tell him he failed.

Well this really helped 😅

this is one thing i hate about pathfinder, the world levels up around you

How would you appraise your formula vs. the level DC table ?

Camera setup: The exposure is a little too high on this one but the quality is much better. I would either dim your light a little or adjust your camera setup down one stop. Hope that helps.

I find all your videos very useful as our group is moving from 5e to pf2e. Thanks.

Sorry your use of diplomacy has the Incapacitation trait, and I'm more than double your age, so I will not be subscribing to your channel, (also I am already subscribed). 🙂

I haven't had that problem
I thought how mutch I want them to roll on a die and just look at the dice to see if this is satysfying

Maybe it’s because I’m coming from 5e, but I still prefer contested checks. Just seems faster and smoother in my head

It's never happened to me

The "Sell out Arch" gave me the smile I needed today my man, THANK YOU!

Aww dam guess I was forced to subscribe :P

From our experience, the best formula has been (Level +12), period. No adjustment per 5 levels, either. That way even someone who's untrained (as many PCs often are) has a chance, and anyone competent in their profession will usually succeed; should anyone ever reach Expert or Legendary, all tasks will be trivial, as they should be.

It never happened to me... I'm not lying because : DC 10 easy 15 challenging 20 hard 25 extreme 30 impossible for character level 1-5 (+5 to DC per 5 level) et voila... that simple. The only hesitation I might have is mmm... what quality should be on THAT lock at THAT place in THAT moment in time.

"If you say it has never happened to you, you're lying."
Um, no, sorry. Setting the DC for something, even on the fly (especially in D&D 5e) is really simple. If I hadn't chosen a DC for that lock just yet, and he rolled that 18, I'd either consider that just enough or requiring a roll of 20 depending on how badly I didn't want them to pick that lock or how much I wanted to make them work for it, and the choice would have been instant. Some people have no issue setting the DC for things like that, hate to burst your bubble. Setting a CR for a creature is far more difficult (and personally I don't usually bother with it).

That being said, I do understand hat some people, especially when they're new to it, might have a tougher time figuring out what's fitting for the DC to things, so I do recognize the value of this video and I am in no way saying that it's stupid or that anyone having trouble with it are dumb, I only have a problem with you stating that everyone has had trouble with it and won't believe them when they say that they haven't struggled with it. Not everyone finds the same things difficult, that's all I'm saying.

oh god! The Sell-Out Archetype!! New favourite!!

The DCs you're providing would be calculated at each level up, so potentially a GM might only need to calculate a new DC, put it on a sticky note, and then call it a day until the next time they game. You don't even have to do it every session.

This video just shows what bad design is:

If you focused your life on something, you should not succeed 60% of the time.

It should be 75% to something EQUAL level, not 60%.

Even test pilots do not crash 40% of the time, or they would never retire :P

I don't understand what "Level of the Task" means in any context.

Level scaling is a terrible concept and I'd rather just used the simple dc table to reflect the lock quality/how worth it would be in that place to have a really expensive lock/if they could afford a better lock, etc rather than DC scaling. IE an Inn would have decent trained locks as a minimum but the inkeepers safe would most likely have a master lock while his bedroom would have an expert lock. A BBEG in his castle would prioritize his treasury and chest locks over his heavily guarded front and back doors. A stable would have really basic locks an a sentry at night to make sure the horses aren't being messed with, etc.

I also feel like a player specced SPECIFICALY into a skill should be able to do those tasks with around an 90% success rate (from untrained to legendary they should be able to do the job 9 out of 10 times, as a top professional) assuming they are heavily investing in that skill.

However I feel to each their own. If you would rather go with level scaling then go for it. I just think it makes some skill checks nonsensical.

These videos are great... Thinking about changing my players to 2e from 1e. Thank you!

The Formula Paizo uses is: 14 + Level of Task +1 extra per 3 LV (But Nonat1s is super close, just has bigger jumps at the 5lv increments)

Yes, I actually like how easy it's to set DC on PF2E because, you only have to add numbers, and while I know in theory 5E is the same on that regard, I find more difficult to calculate those low numbers, even though the range of possible DC's is much lower.

Camera looks fine.

Ha. Jokes on you. I already subscribed.

Your diplomacy check was indeed a critical success! Subscribed! :)

Wow - this seems super complicated compared to D&D's system. Assigning "levels" to tasks seems unnecessarily abstract, subjective, and confusing. D&D's system of categorizing tasks as easy, medium, hard, etc. is so quick and intuitive, and takes just a few seconds to learn, no referencing charts, guessing what a good level for a challenge is, or math required. I've been wanting to switch my group to PF2 because I think they'll love all the higher degree of character customization and flexibility but the more of these videos I watch the more complicated DMing PF2 seems. It's so much better for the players and so much more complex for the DM.

sellout archetype made me giggle

Nice, Sellout Archtype

I fell like you are punishing who invest in some skill proficience, because u are starting ranking from legendary, I would disconsider that always at least one always are legendary on that skill and disconsider that exist rogues. This is like if you starting ranking ACs of the monsters basing from fighters.

The rogue in me is sitting here thinking that at some point the locks with higher-level DCs should be stolen along with whatever it might be protecting because that an investment.

please remember that other than rouge all other characters can only max out three skills archetype exceptions occur. in addition are "forcibly" taken up by go from point a to point b skills acrobatics and athletics or have the right magical items/spells. leaving only one discretionary skill per character. most skills never get past trained and especially if you roleplay. in official adventures and scenarios is (almost always) level is player level or higher.

you got me damnit

15 if it is average DC. 20 if it is hard. 20 years my system never failed.

I think the formula goes a little awry in spots if you compare to the DCs by level. If you do this at 5th level it yields a level 6 DC, than after that you either get a full 2 levels higher DC or just shy at each 5th increment. I think +1 per 5 levels would be a safer bet for guesstimating DCs, so that if you deem fit to make it harder with the modifiers you aren't upgrading an already 2 levels higher DC unknowingly.

Jokes on you Nonat, I'm already subscribed and thus immune to further instances of the subscribed condition.

Too bad my Will DC is equal to Recall Knowledge DC for identifying the Tarasque.

best advice: always have gm screen in front of you. do everything at half the time,