The Firebird's latest activity

I agree that constraints are important for creativity. I don't think it follows that all constraints are good, though. They will; but...

I see what you're getting at; I can imagine in the correctly tuned scenario it could work. But I don't think you are characterizing...

I wouldn't say all further attempts fail, but absent significant changes to the situation, then yes. I'd spend a bit longer setting the...

So you would not run the night infiltration as a skill challenge? I think the example you give is an example of poor GMing. For me it...

At most I am explaining why I have these preferences. Doesn't the GM set the stakes of the SC at their discretion? Consider: "Outer...

I'm not sure what the benefits of using SC structure even are, frankly. They must benefit something I don't do when I run games.

Because SCs were introduced in 4e, a game that pointedly did not say the GM no longer has the sort of authority they did in previous...

It's different enough for me. Turns out I'm under no obligation to engage in discussion at your direction.

Well, no. At any point in either, decisions can be made for mechanical or fictional reasons. Usually it will be some combination of the...

Sometimes. In the sweet old lady case I would anticipate better outcomes on persuade than intimidate. In the warlord case I would...

That's true, I could pretend to make choices based on what is most beneficial in the fiction while knowing that mechanically I am making...

Is your assumption that I am ok with the DM fudging whenever they want for whatever reason?

Yeah. 'I try to impress the zookeeper by telling him some animal facts I learned from my Hunt skill' 'I try to sneak up to the guards...

Because the skill challenge structure has flattened the task from, as an example, "get past the compounds outer defenses" to "get 3...

Yes, in my experience. It can be both. But they may be weighted differently. Long form Adventure Paths are not structured to go off...