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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 5464850" data-attributes="member: 3887">It makes Cesar Milan into Michael Vick!Ahem... Here's an example of actual play from a recent session, which I think illustrates how not only the presence, but absence of certain mechanics in 4e influence play. If it fails to that, at least it'll serve as a shining example of a traditionally crackpot D&D-style plan.The problem: a scroll containing an ancient magical ritual the party needs lies buried under several meters of Avernal glass, an ultra-hard form of obsidian which covers the Infernal Isle of Avernus. The party knows the general location of the scroll. A draconic guardian angel ally of the party tried to unearth it and failed before being captured by demons. But it marked the spot clearly with a large pit it clawed out of the ground.The pre-4e solution: would have almost certainly been a magic spell or item. Dig, Disintegrate, Rock to Mud, maybe Passwall, or a Spade of Mighty Excavation -- which I might be making up, I can't recall. Anyway, you who have played previous editions of D&D know the drill. The problem, part II: except we're playing 4e and that kind of player-controlled magic isn't supported.The 4e approach: the PC's look for a solution elsewhere ie, in the wider fictional world the game takes place in, and not just in their spell lists. Let's call these thing "plot-assets", as opposed to strictly mechanical character assets. Information is sought by the streetwise types (skill checks are made). Eventually the PC's find a concubine artist who knows the secret of an elixir which renders Avernal glass soft and workable, but only when applied to living flesh.  Inadvisable deals are cut by optimistic, over-promising paladins (no checks are made, purely in-character RP'ing). The 4e solution: combine various plot-assets into a workable plan. These include: two ancient Dragonborn cannons from a friendly sea Captain whose vessel we saved, the concubine's elixir, a length thin, unbreakable chain, and the goblin henchman of party's dwarven Communist revolutionary.The 4e solution in detail:  The cannons are airlifted to he pit site via a PC's flight ritual. The goblin henchman, "General" Poggsley by name, is stripped naked. One end of the chain is attached to his waist, the other to projectile in the first cannon. Poggsley is then fortified with several potions (X-ray vision, temp HP, water-breathing -- note standard magical assets are still part of the solution). Finally, he is slathered with the elixir, which only lasts a minute, at most, loaded into the second cannon, and fired into the glassy earth.45 seconds are counted out. The first cannon is fired, yanking the goblin out of the Avernal glass with precisely the velocity at which he entered. Notice the clever use of Science! Rolls were made: to hit the ritual, duration of the elixir, etc. We rolled high! I can't explain exactly why we thought this was a good plan. I do recall a lot of laughter during the planning phase. I suppose my character would say something like "We didn't need reason! We had faith!", which, seeing as he's a paladin, is a suitable explanation.This wasn't a formal Skill Challenge, though skill checks were made throughout; to get information, to find the potions in time, to borrow the cannons, etc. The target number for the final roll to-hit was, I'm sure, made up on the spot. Now I'm not trying to suggest this sort of thing didn't happen in pre-4e play; crackpot plans are a D&D staple. I merely wanted to show --at length <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />-- how the absence of certain mechanics can have a positive effect on the game w/r/t player engagement with the fiction.</blockquote>

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