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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zuche" data-source="post: 5846723" data-attributes="member: 6682151">Before this system, I thought I understood the importance of knowing the objectives or your NPCs and monsters. This system has taught me that there is still much to learn.The skill challenge system pointed out that non-combat encounters shape paths, rather than dead ends. With that in mind, it was easy to determine when enough was enough for an encounter. Injury, cowardice, greed, hunger, and other elements could be used to dictate when a creature might break off an attack long before it was kill or be killed. That's nothing new, but the mechanics did make it easier to judge when such a thing could take place.For example, a higher level lurker or skirmishing pack could stalk a party for hours, waiting for a moment to strike and run, until a target finally succumbed and got left behind. If the group wanted to pursue their stalker(s), they risked diverting attention from time sensitive objectives. (Those objectives wouldn't become impossible, but would instead present new challenges.) Figuring out how to deter further pursuit without coming close to killing the pursuer was still worth something to a group, and it became obvious how many ways there were to accomplish that. Injury, investment of resources (as bait or bribe or perhaps even outright sacrifice), misdirection (including the possibility of eventually turning your pursuer against opponents you're trying to reach)... all so much fun.The more thought I gave to skill challenges, the more potential I saw in applying their principals to combat challenges and the circumstances in which they took place.</blockquote>

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