Task Difficulty Modifier

Task Difficulty Modifier (commonly called TDM) is based on B345 "Task Difficulty" listing "difficulty modifiers". It combines both phrases and serves as a modifier to a skill. 
Basic Action Difficulty (BAD) is a more generalized version which covers "all aspects of a particular phase of the adventure" related to enemy planning, security systems, and social connections. BAD should not be applied to combat or chases.Action 2: Exploits pg. 4-5
==Task Difficulty Modifiers==
Classification 	Description 	modifier 	DC	Equivalent
Automatic 	Tasks so trivial that waiving the success roll is an option 	+10 	0 	Very Easy
Trivial 	Situations where failure is extremely unlikely, and would require incredibly bad luck. 	+8 or +9 	 	
Very Easy 	Tasks where failure is possible, but would require bad luck 	+7 or +6 	 	
Easy 	Most mundane tasks, including rolls made by ordinary people at day-to-day jobs 	+4 or +5 	5 	Easy
Very Favorable 	Mildly risky tasks that most people would undertake without hesitation 	+3 or +2 	 	
Favorable 	Tasks that most people would hesitate at, due to the risk, but that a career adventurer would regard as easy.	+1 	 	
Average 	Most adventuring tasks, and the majority of skill use under stress 	no modifier	10	Average
Unfavorable 	Stressful tasks that would challenge a novice adventurer, but not an old hand 	-1 	 	
Very Unfavorable	Stressful tasks that would challenge a professional 	-2 or -3 	15	Tough
Hard 	Tasks so challenging that even an expert will look for alternatives 	-4 or -5 	20	Challenging
Very Hard 	Situations that even the masters might have second thoughts about 	-6 or -7 	25	Formidable
Dangerous 	Tasks at which even the greatest masters expect to fail 	-8 or -9 	30	Heroic
Impossible 	No sane person would attempt such a task 	-10 	40	Nearly impossible
==Modifiers==
*EquipmentB345
**No equipment: -10 for TL skills, -5 otherwise
**Improvised equipment: -5 for TL skills, -2 otherwise
**Basic equipment: ±0
***Basic and above: Missing important tools (-1 per tool); Damaged equipment (-1 to -3)
**Good-quality equipment (5x basic price): +1
**Fine-quality equipment (20x basic price): +2 
**Best equipment possible at relevant TL: +TL/2, round down (minimum +2)
*Time Spent
**Extra Time for bonuses
**Haste for penalties using less time
===Ordinary Working Professionals===
"The standard rules are designed for adventurers, not for ordinary working professionals. Professionals make one job roll a month. On a critical failure, something bad happens, with harmful consequences – but not usually as bad as a critical failure during an adventure. (...) With one roll a month, a mage with effective skill 15 or less goes 54 months between mishaps, on the average; one with effective skill 16 or better could go 216 months (or 18 years)."Thaumatology: Urban Magics pg 30
This explains why worlds with common spell casting aren't devastated demon infested nightmarish Hell Worlds.
==Threads==
*2006 query thread
**Kromm: We don't use "TDM" to mean anything in GURPS, although some people might use that abbreviation.
*2007 without explanation
==See also==
*Attacking Inanimate Objects
==References==
Category:Rules
Category:Skills