Group Checks
Group Checks are a special type of ability check made when the whole party of characters needs to do something together. They are best used for broad, initial checks when the party's success as a team is more important than individual success. You might roll a group check as the characters sneak into a vampire's castle, when lifting a large piece of debris, or when trying to navigate during exploration.
Running a Group Check
When the characters must roll for a group check, each character rolls their individual check, then each player compares it to the DC the DM sets out.
Characters don't necessarily have to roll the same ability check when contributing to a group check. When navigating, for example, a druid or ranger character might roll Intelligence (Nature) , but a fighter character might ask to roll Intelligence (History) instead. Each character could roll multiple different ability checks to contribute towards the group's total.
There are multiple ways to run group checks. The two ways listed here are the Half Success method and the Mass DC method. The first is significantly simpler, but might not account for players with significantly high or low rolls, while the second is much more complex but takes into account the exact numbers rolled. You can use whatever method works best for your group.
Half Success Method
In the Half Success Group Check method, the DM uses a standard DC, and has each player roll individually. Then, each character states their roll. If half the characters or more meets or exceeds the DC, then the group as a whole succeeds. If half the characters or more fail the roll, the group fails.
Mass DC Method
The Mass DC group check method calls for characters to add their individual rolls together in an attempt to beat one big DC set by the DM. When the characters must roll a group check using this method, they each make their individual rolls and add their results together. The total is the group's result, which is compared against the DC set out by the DM.
The DC for this check can be determined using the following table. The Mass Group Check table assumes a party of four characters are attempting the roll. If you have more or less characters, add or subtract 10 from the DC for each extra or missing player.
Mass Group Check
| Challenge | DC |
|---|---|
| Very Easy | 20 |
| Easy | 40 |
| Moderate | 60 |
| Hard | 80 |
| Very Hard | 100 |
| Almost Impossible | 120 |