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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8283646" data-attributes="member: 6696971">FYI, I saw the other thread last night and I posted this there.  Because "what is Skilled Play" is in the cross-hairs, I'm cross-posting this here.The below is about TACTICAL and STRATEGIC Skilled Play.  It is not about THEMATIC Skilled Play (that is another axis of Skilled Play...where D&D mostly falls down except in the embedded thematic deployment of classes in D&D combat, 4e Skill Challenges, Themes/Paragon Paths/Epic Destinies and Quests, and the functional deployment of 5e Background Traits and 5e IBTFs + Inspiration).  Thematic Skilled Play is not cosplaying FYI.  Its aggressively playing the themes of your character to propel play through the vehicle of system.  D&D doesn't do this great because overwhelmingly the system lacks the cogs and levers and fallout of their turning/pulling.Also, Gygaxian Skilled Play is different and much more narrow than the broad use of Skilled Play (deftly deploying your cognitive horsepower/system understanding to navigate tactical and strategic decision-points to wrest control of the trajectory of play from other participants/system's unfettered byproducts).If I had to pin down the various forms of Skilled Play in the D&D I've GMed it would be:AD&D: Optimizing rote dungeon crawl SOPs for dealing with traps + optimizing recon/surveillance for optimizing spellcaster loadout and refresh for everything else (obviate obstacles, render combat rounds after rd 1 moot, sustain "heavies").Moldvay Basic Dungeon Crawls: Managing the Exploration Turn/Rest/Light economy + skillful Exploration turns and (basically) Group Checks+ avoiding needless combats + maximizing the encumbrance/equipment loadout/treasure weight ratio minigame.RC Hexcrawls: Optimizing recon/surveillance for optimizing spellcaster loadout and refresh for everything else (obviate obstacles, render combat rounds after rd 1 moot, sustain "heavies") + skillful Exploration turns and (basically) Group Checks.3.x: Class and build choice minigame (pick Druids, Wizards, Clerics) + optimizing recon/surveillance for optimizing spellcaster loadout and refresh for everything else (obviate obstacles, render combat rounds after rd 1 moot, sustain "heavies", sustain yourself, buff everyone to the teeth).4e: Optimize Team PC synergy in combat while optimizing movement/forced movement/control/hazard and terrain interactions to shut down the pivotal components of Team Monster/battlefield synergy + Off-turn actions + Skill Challenge creativity in action declarations and Skill Power/Utility deployment.5e: Optimizing spell loadout/deployments (to obviate obstacles, render combat rounds after rd 1 moot, synergize skill augments, trigger/protect Long Rest) + Range combat and Bonus Actions + Getting your GM to "say yes" as much as possible + play the "Wheel of Fortune" Social Conflict well.</blockquote>

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