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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8136907" data-attributes="member: 82106">D&D, generally, doesn't really clarify this point. Recall that Skills, per se, are an addition to the core framework of D&D, which had only a few places where players would roll dice to make a determination (primarily combat, but also saves). Those cases were VERY explicit about how things worked, and generally the only fictional question was maybe what the details looked like (IE did the Orc block with his shield, or his scimitar). In that case, players could simply ask the DM for information, and there really wasn't any hard limit to what they could ask "Barbaz the dwarf goes up to the bar, plunks down 5gp and asks if anyone has heard of the Crown of the Lich Queen." Now, the DM in classic D&D has the authority to object that the action is not consonant with the fiction "this is no such thing as the Crown of the Lich Queen", or a more sophisticated DM might likely take up the gauntlet and follow with some fictional response. Up through 1e and AFAIK all the iterations of 'BASIC' D&D this is all simply RP and the rules are utterly silent on this topic, Gygax never even hints about what he would do in the above situation.2e (or OA if you prefer) introduces OPTIONAL skills, which could be invoked in this situation. OA is pretty focused on 'social situation' type play. It doesn't answer the question of how the DM should react, but it has tools like honor and social status, along with skills, that can be brought to bear on the possible nature of the responses, should the fiction be carried forward. This is also the situation in 3.x, as it uses effectively close to the same skill system in a general sense. Anyway, 'story' is more a focus in these games, but it is generally understood to be the DM's story, so YMMV in actual play...4e says explicitly "say yes." So, while it doesn't quite say that the players are empowered explicitly to make these kinds of 'moves', it is at least FAVORED as an approach. The DM in that case might create an SC, or the player could declare the gaining of this treasure to be a Quest (DMs have input on these, but they are supposed to be generated based on input from the players primarily). I would not say that "there is no Lich Queen" is breaking a 4e rule, but it is at least coming close! This is part of the sense in which 4e is much more of a narrative/story game with high(er) player empowerment than earlier D&Ds. It also illustrates where 5e backslid somewhat.</blockquote>

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