What is a Dirty 20 in Tabletop Role-Playing Games?

Discover what a dirty 20 means in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and how it differs from a natural 20.

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A 'dirty 20' is a term used in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. It refers to rolling a natural 20 on a 20-sided die (d20) and then applying modifiers that make the total score 20. While a natural 20 automatically succeeds, a dirty 20 achieves the score through adding bonuses. This can result in a successful action but lacks the guaranteed critical success of a natural 20.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What does 'dirty 20' mean in tabletop games? 'Dirty 20' refers to rolling a natural 20 on a d20 in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, with additional bonuses applied to reach a total score of 20, resulting in a successful action but not the guaranteed critical success of a natural 20.
  2. How is a dirty 20 different from a natural 20? A natural 20 is achieved by rolling a 20 on a d20 without any modifiers, guaranteeing a critical success, whereas a dirty 20 involves modifiers added to the die roll to reach a total of 20, which does not guarantee a critical hit.
  3. Can a dirty 20 still be a good roll in D&D? Yes, a dirty 20 is still considered a successful roll and can lead to a successful action in gameplay, although it does not have the same impact as a natural 20 critical success.
  4. In what scenarios might a dirty 20 be used? A dirty 20 can be used in various scenarios where bonuses from skills, spells, or advantage allow a player to reach a total of 20, such as when attacking, saving, or performing checks, enhancing the narrative of gameplay.

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