Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aliquid Apr 03, 2004 15:30:16	This is a post for those of you who remember the days before 3.5, before 3.0 , before 2nd Edition, and before 1st edition… Back to the true “good old days” of OD&D. I was going through my old basic D&D players handbook (the red one), and got a good laugh when reading the skills for a 1st level thief. Consider the following situation: your 1st level thief comes across a door that is locked and trapped. To successfully get past this obstacle, you will have to “find traps” (10%) , “remove traps” (10%) and “open locks” (15%). Looking at it, I didn’t think it seemed all that bad until I realized the probability of succeeding in all three tasks. Well…it was amazingly low. Below one percent (0.15%) that’s a 1 in 666 chance of succeeding… It’s interesting though. I laugh at it now, but it didn’t bother me at all at the time (heck I didn’t even notice). I think it just goes to show that the rules you work with don’t matter, as long as you have a good DM, and you have a good time
#2 stonebeard Apr 03, 2004 20:07:02	That could possibly be because a trapped and locked chest for a 1st level thief would be a huge challenge. I personally wouldn't throw it at them. Locked yes if there was something of good value inside this would only involve one lucky roll . Trapped maybe if there was something truly spectacular inside (magic perhaps) because this would involve two lucky rolls (or one lucky result and some cunning). But all three on a common basis would indeed be too much. remember also a chest could be taken from a dungeon and worked on over a period of time. They get a new chance at each level.