I think dictated action, or fiat, or what Ron Edwards calls drama resolution, is interesting in this context.[MENTION=42582]I was more railing against impact by fiat rather than mechanic.
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I would propose however that there is a pretty vast gulf between the results you list, such as complication dice, or any other complicating modifier, and straight dictated action. I'm fine with the former but not the latter. My apologies if that wasn't as clear as it could have been.
I agree that it's not typical. In adjudicating a skill challenge I once narrated one of the PCs moving across the room - in the fiction, he was influenced by a Pact Hag; mechanically, this was setting up a complication (the Hag was going to pull a rope to open a pit); I can't recall now whether or not it immediately followed a failed check or not.
I do know that when I posted about it on these boards it aroused some controversy; but if a GM holds back from all narration like that in a skill challenge then it's hard to make it very dynamic.
I'm sure there are contexts in which sheer drama/fiat/dictation melting-PC's-heart-by-winking would make sense, even though we're not thinking of one here-and-now.