Character Concepts & Campaign Info

Quick gameplay question, re: skill checks.
I'm trying to figure out when it's worth adding my Guidance bonus to a skill check. Am I right in thinking that a skill check is generally passed with a result of 10? So e.g. there's no appreciable difference between a skill check result of, say, 7 and 8?
(I think I understand that skill checks can have harder or easier targets to beat, e.g. 5/10/15, however, but 10 is the normal target?)

10 is the base target for not-exceptionally-difficult skill checks, yes.

We might have one or two new players joining us soon...

Excellent!

Whoop!

Hi. Hello. I guess Octorok is working on getting my character submitted, but yes, it seems at some point in the near future you will be joined by a mysterious stranger...

Tell me a little more about Mordred so I can figure out a good way to introduce him?

Yes, of course! Here is his character sheet. His name is Mordred Kaliban, and he is a tiefling who was orphaned at a young age and forced to take care of himself on the mean streets of Sthombo. One night, after a particularly rough "questioning" from the Constabulary, he was picked out of the gutter and taken in by Edvers and Zora Kells. They nursed him back to health, and over the years have helped him try and make something of his life - an introduction to the Smiths' Guild here, a few classes at the University of Sthombo there - but nothing came as easily as thievery to Mordred. Now a fairly well-respected member of the Sthombo Thieves' Guild Local 815, Mordred was eager to begin to repay Edvers for all his kindness. The accusation and execution shocked Mordred to his core. He knows Edvers would never do anything like that, and now Mordred is sworn to clear Edvers's name and avenge his loss.

I'm happy to make any changes to his story or stats if you think they will fit better into the game. Thanks again!

Sounds good. I'm thinking, let's take out the connection to Ed and just make you a friend of Zora's. Harboring a tiefling would have brought tremendous scrutiny down on the village, but Zora definitely could have made some friends in the Sthombo demimonde.

Does Mordred know much about his parentage? Presumably one of his parents isn't dead, but rather back in the lower planes...

Perfect. He does not know who (or what) his father was. Maybe (for now) he is more interested in finding Zora and making sure she is safe than worrying about this Iron Whatever. Could create some interesting tension in the group, depending on whether or not the party finds her soon.

Welcome, rocksteady! (I'm EndsOfInvention from MeFi).

Regarding the shared/party inventory, are you (DM) keeping track of that or should one of us note the stuff we collect in our inventory?

You should note any items you pick up. Should be easy to add them to the character sheet.

OK. I didn't note down what we collected from the dead guy at the longhouse but I'll go back and add it to my inventory.

Just a heads-up that I'm going on holiday tomorrow for a week - we should have wifi where we're staying so will try and check in regularly.

Hey there, thanks for taking me in! Looking forward to joining the party, perhaps when you're all done running from the law.

Welcome! Just enacting my Brilliant Escape Plan(TM). Maybe this time it'll work.