Over the past 2 days, I've done 15 level 2 forges for 70 or 75%.
10 have failed, 5 have succeeded.
I ran a binomial distribution calculation here to see what the odds of that are:
http://stattrek.com/online-calculator/binomial.aspx
p = .7, n = 15, x = 10 (p should be higher, but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt, the extra 5% is treated as a bonus)
The chance of getting exactly 10 outcomes was 20%.
The chance of getting less was 28%.
The chance of getting more was 52%.
Seriously? This is too much to believe that 70% is what's really going on.
It's just a random number generator.
You do a 70percent thing 10 times. This does not mean it will will 7 times. It could work 10 times. It could work no times. Just like the chances of a book in SK. While some people may thrive and grind 24/7 black kats to get the 1/1000 book, a random player who has never heard of the katalysm may stumble open the creature and have it drop a book.