Retrying an Ability Check

One of your players has attempted and failed an Ability Check - picking a lock, persuading a shopkeeper, or reading an ancient manuscript. “Can’t I just try again?” What’s to stop your player from retrying an Ability Check every turn until they succeed?

The official rule is that, once a player has failed at an Ability Check, they cannot try it again. However, these same rules are somewhat vague and vary depending on the situation. So, consider these two options for retrying Ability Checks:

An opportunity for role-playing

If your player has failed an Ability Check and wants another attempt, ask them how their player will change the circumstance. If they want to try picking the lock again, ask them what new tool they’ll use or what different technique they’ll try. If they want to retry convincing the shopkeeper to sell that potion for half price, they’ll need to come up with a new angle.

Slow Your Roll

The first attempt at an Ability Check takes 1 turn (6 seconds of game time). The second attempt takes 10 turns (1 minute). The third takes 10 minutes of game time. And after that, it’s 1 hour per attempt.