That is the way it should be, though. So frustrating to have +13 slight of hand and still fail a DC 5 lock, and so stupid to be able to save scrum a dc 20 check with a -3 mod until the 20 gets rolled. And before you think those chances are rare, remember that rolling a 1 or 20 is basically a 10% chance with disadvantage/advantage, respectively.
The game offers you plenty of options to deal with a failed skill check. In a case of failed lockpicking:
- there are keys to a lot of chests lying around nearby,
- thieves tools are an easily accessible resource,
- inspirations allow you to take a reroll,
- a lot of the doors and chests can be destroyed (which may result in slightly reduced hoard),
- there are often alternative routes to reach places behind the locked door.
Having a 1/20 chance to fail any check might cause players to look for other ways to solve problems other than just always relaying on min/maxed party skills. In my eyes, that is a good thing.
On a flip side, if someone would rather spend a spell slot for enhance ability and 9 reloads on average to get a 20 on an otherwise impossible check, rather than exploring other options available in the game or, the heresy, just accepting the failed check, why not allow them. It's not fun nor optimal, but does it really make your decision to specialize in a skill meaningless?
