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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Why I like skill challenges as a noncombat resolution mechanic
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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 5970348" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>My hope is, to the extent that there will be a "skill-challenge" derivative module in 5e, that the rules text frames the building (DM) and micro-scene resolution (DM and player) of skill challenges as a practice in fiction evolution via decision-point resolution and subsequent, decision-point creation. These decision points need to intuitively interface with the skill system and organically flow from one to the next. DM and players should be handing off the author baton, resolving the prior decision-point and then creating new decision-points, until the challenge is resolved. The rules should be clear and up-front about how PC fiction-molding empowerment may interpose itself between traditional DnD immersion expectations and the fiction. They should show mechanically how this can be done, with clear nuts-and-bolts examples, and articulate precisely what feel, when done correctly, this conflict-resolution system can bring to the table. The rules should thoroughly break down standard DnD scene conventions and how they can be used to provide interesting decision-points that interface with the skill system and how do you lead them, naturally, to another decision point when constructing and administering a<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite23" alt="(n)" title="Thumbs down (n)" loading="lazy" data-shortname="(n)" /></p><p></p><p>- wilderness/urban chase</p><p>- infiltration of a slavers boat, rescuing slaves and hull sabotage</p><p>- parlay with bad guys with legitimate stakes</p><p>- recovering from being lost in a hazardous, foreign environment</p><p>- forging a plot-relevant item</p><p>- navigating treacherous terrain</p><p>- shmoozing with the nobility at a masquerade ball toward a specific end</p><p></p><p>and on and on. </p><p></p><p>You are on a staggered, wilderness chase on horseback. You have put a few miles between you and your pursuit. perhaps the horse becomes exhausted for the effort. Perhaps there is a farmhouse nearby. Do you steal a horse from the farmstead? Do you attempt a quick barter with the farm-folk? Do you have a child that you have rescued from slave-traders? Perhaps you attempt to quick-talk the farmer into accepting taking the child while you quickly bit and bridle a new horse, double-back to obscure your tracks into the farmstead, and lead the pursuit off into another direction. </p><p></p><p>The rules need to clearly and concisely canvas standard DnD scene conventions from a how-to perspective (DM), an if-then perspective (DM and player), and a "what feel will this create at the table?" perspective. An accompanying video presentation would likely work wonders here. One section of the video could show behind-the-scenes DM engineering of skill-challenges/out of combat scene resolution (how-to). Another section could provide a strong tutorial for bridging the gap between the current decision-point resolution to a newly created, interesting decision-point (if-then). And finally, there could be several videos of actual game play examples and how this marriage of narrative (meta) and gamist (concrete skill system) mechanics resolves itself in play...and the potential impacts (immersion, weight of responsibility) of handing off the author baton.</p><p></p><p>Once that is done (the most lacking portion of the ruleset...and unfortunately, the most important), the rules can prescribe the mechanical framework for implementing sensible consequences of success and failure (and provide a robust list of those consequences) for each scene type.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 5970348, member: 6696971"] My hope is, to the extent that there will be a "skill-challenge" derivative module in 5e, that the rules text frames the building (DM) and micro-scene resolution (DM and player) of skill challenges as a practice in fiction evolution via decision-point resolution and subsequent, decision-point creation. These decision points need to intuitively interface with the skill system and organically flow from one to the next. DM and players should be handing off the author baton, resolving the prior decision-point and then creating new decision-points, until the challenge is resolved. The rules should be clear and up-front about how PC fiction-molding empowerment may interpose itself between traditional DnD immersion expectations and the fiction. They should show mechanically how this can be done, with clear nuts-and-bolts examples, and articulate precisely what feel, when done correctly, this conflict-resolution system can bring to the table. The rules should thoroughly break down standard DnD scene conventions and how they can be used to provide interesting decision-points that interface with the skill system and how do you lead them, naturally, to another decision point when constructing and administering a(n) - wilderness/urban chase - infiltration of a slavers boat, rescuing slaves and hull sabotage - parlay with bad guys with legitimate stakes - recovering from being lost in a hazardous, foreign environment - forging a plot-relevant item - navigating treacherous terrain - shmoozing with the nobility at a masquerade ball toward a specific end and on and on. You are on a staggered, wilderness chase on horseback. You have put a few miles between you and your pursuit. perhaps the horse becomes exhausted for the effort. Perhaps there is a farmhouse nearby. Do you steal a horse from the farmstead? Do you attempt a quick barter with the farm-folk? Do you have a child that you have rescued from slave-traders? Perhaps you attempt to quick-talk the farmer into accepting taking the child while you quickly bit and bridle a new horse, double-back to obscure your tracks into the farmstead, and lead the pursuit off into another direction. The rules need to clearly and concisely canvas standard DnD scene conventions from a how-to perspective (DM), an if-then perspective (DM and player), and a "what feel will this create at the table?" perspective. An accompanying video presentation would likely work wonders here. One section of the video could show behind-the-scenes DM engineering of skill-challenges/out of combat scene resolution (how-to). Another section could provide a strong tutorial for bridging the gap between the current decision-point resolution to a newly created, interesting decision-point (if-then). And finally, there could be several videos of actual game play examples and how this marriage of narrative (meta) and gamist (concrete skill system) mechanics resolves itself in play...and the potential impacts (immersion, weight of responsibility) of handing off the author baton. Once that is done (the most lacking portion of the ruleset...and unfortunately, the most important), the rules can prescribe the mechanical framework for implementing sensible consequences of success and failure (and provide a robust list of those consequences) for each scene type. [/QUOTE]
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