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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Guest 6801328" data-source="post: 7798824">I want to expand on my "possibility of memorable event" thing, because I think it's been misunderstood, and that I haven't explained it well.It's not that I think any event should have the possibility of being memorable, it's that an event that meets a given pattern should have the possibility of being memorable.So looking at the festival contest, is it possible that an event of the pattern "Players make 3 ability rolls of type X, and if they succeed on all 3 they earn Y gold, but if they fail there is no cost, not even in terms of time or resources."So let's take an exaggerated version: if the PC(s) can succeed at three ability checks, they will get one million gold.  If they fail there's no cost, although they don't get to try again.Can you imagine this being a memorable...or even an enjoyable...part of an adventure?  (I guess I'd think it was memorable in the sense of "one of the least satisfying moments I've ever experienced playing D&D")So if for some reason I actually wanted to include the 100g version in an adventure, I'd let the players narrate how they go about it, and then probably just give them an autosuccess because it would be a nice development in the story.  But make them roll dice?  Why?  What does that actually do to make the game better?  Maybe some people think it would, but I don't.  Difference of opinion. So here's another example (I know, foolish me for offering examples): a player wants to leap from a shed onto a horse that's riding by.  DM rules that if he fails, he's going to fall and probably take some damage.  Especially memorable?  Probably not, unless the resulting narration is particularly good.What about the pattern: "Player leaps from object onto creature passing by.  On success can ride away, on failure takes damage."?  Can THAT be a truly memorable moment?How about if the player wants to leap from an airship onto a passing dragon.  DM assigns a really high DC, but with the caveat that failure is death.  If the player actually goes for it, do you think that might be a little bit exciting and memorable?  I do, and that's whether he succeeds or fails.  So, yeah, all of the sudden I'm thinking, "This has to be dice.  I'm not going to just issue a ruling."Going back to the shed and the horse, the same principle applies.  No, it's unlikely to be a climactic moment, but it's at least a dramatic moment in its own small way.</blockquote>

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