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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 6467911" data-attributes="member: 386">The general structure of x successes before 3 failures.  The DC is set by the NPC's Will Defense (not necessarily but I can't think of a time when that wasn't the case); the number of successes needed is set by the Reaction Roll.  The main benefit is that there's a lot of compromise between PCs and NPCs and the results usually end up being unexpected.My thinking is that you don't need to make checks/use skill challenges when the environment can be detailed in depth.  At that point you can just rely on player-declared PC actions andd DM judgement calls.  If the environment or map is too abstract, then I think you want to make checks.  So when I write up a dungeon room with a secret door, I'll write something like "Close inspection of the room reveals a loose stone in the fireplace and a draft coming from under the west wall; pushing the loose stone while pushing on the wall opens a secret door."  I don't do that for wilderness hexes because they are too abstract - if you want to hunt or forage, just make a check; I don't know where all the plants/game are in the hex.  I believe that NPCs are also too complex to detail in that way, so I use the skill challenge structure to deal with them.</blockquote>