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If your group agrees that what you describe is the way the game is played, it's fine, but IME more you put your trust in a implicit system, more you are at risk of having frustrated players playing a different game at the same table. That's something to avoid if you want to facilitate the...

A reward system isn't a must, but at the minimum, you need some kind of "fun" mechanics to drive the players toward a given behavior, in this case, using personality traits in play. For example, the above "invoke a trait to get a +2".

Asking players to come up with minor quests is a good thing. Asking players to follow/interpret the personality traits of their PC to choose which quests the later should do is usually a bad thing IMHO.

But the PHB doesn't explain how they should really be used during game (only that they shouldn't go agains't your Combat Role) and there is no reward system linked to their usage. D&D 4E is certainly a RPG* and even if it's certainly not my prefered kind, it is IMHO the best D&D edition. *Any...

If a "Lute contest" is a rewardable challenge, it is the same as combat (crunch). D&D 4E simply chose to not include these kind of challenge, because it's not the focus of the game. If your doing a "Lute contest" as fluff, i.e. to add "color", you shouldn't need rules (players+DM may simply...

As an example, I suggested this house rule in another thread : You can choose up to 5 "background feature" that you may call to get a +2 circumstance modifier one time every session. If your 5 slots aren't filled, you can create one on the fly (must be approved by the other players / DM). The...

Because 4E has less rules than the other editions for "background" stuff. IMHO, it was not a bad idea (to remove that stuff), but I can see some ways to add background elements into the game in a coherent way.

Both the storyteller system (WoD) and the storyteller type of player in 4E DMG correspond to a form of Simulationism in the Big Model(GNS). GURPS has rules for every kind of interaction. Shadows of Yesterday has basicaly 2 rules to cover all the interaction (Simple check or Complex check)...

Without rules, you are doing some collaborative story building, that can be fun, but that's not a game. The most important difference is that in a role-playing game, there is some established rules to handle the circumstances where some peoples at the table may not agree about what is happening...

Rules yes, rolls no, look at something like Polaris or Soap .

Storytelling and Narrativism aren't synomyms ! The first one is actually a specific form of Simulationism. Nar RPGs have no problem using dice rolls to resolve conflicts (e.g. Burning Wheel). IMHO, your definition is all but open-ended, it is Simulationism with Drama as the prefered...

Before checking if 4E is better at role-playing than any previous edition of D&D, you have to say what you mean by role-playing. Depending on this definition, one could argue that 4E is better or worse than 3E or 2E. For example, I don't see any difference between adding narration/acting on...

Simulationist oriented DM/Players are the one who favor "good roleplaying". Narrativism is about player's thematic choices.

And what about Disguise ? ;)

The issue about fighter and Wis is not clear, the problem is : All fighters rely on S. Fighters also need C, D, or W, depending on which weapon they favor. No *weapon* powers are based on W in the PHB. (I know that Pit Fighters benefit of Wis for number of OA)

When there is some risk & reward.

bump ?

Hi, I was surprised to found no mention of disguise under the Bluff skill, the only thing left is the "disguise self" utility power. I guess Bluff with "using mundane props" modifiers could work.

Hmm… a loss of equipment/treasure maybe a good idea, because it makes the following encounters harder, however it must be cancelled by more treasure later, to stay within the level expectations.

It has nothing to do with skill challenge, let me give another example : Encounter 1 = Combat with patrolling orcs. If suceed, PCs get to the dungeon. IF failed ("TPK"), PCs are brought into a prisonner camp. Here, they face Encounters 2 and 3 (two combats) to get their freedom and proceed...