[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I understand some people prefer that all changes in odds be handled as stat modifiers, but I have always used changes in numbers of dice rolled as my main way of varying the level of difficulty for tasks, leaving stat modifiers to the few idiosyncratic rules that would be too hard to change (like armor, or the RAW for missile weapon ranges - though the latter would be a good place to simplify by switching to added dice rolled per range category!).

For the specific issue of unskilled rolls, I always use the 'add 1 die' rule, unless one is discussing some very exotic skill that can't be meaningfully attempted by the uninitiated. I've been very satisfied with this approach.

More generally, I find TFT improves in playability and simplicity when you do everything you can to replace all modifiers larger than ±2 with one or more die additions/subtractions. I use this for multi-weapon fighting, ranged attacks and spells in my highly house ruled variants, and most other things. Players easily 'grok' how this works, there is less arithmetic overall.

I'm tending towards this view now, I must admit.