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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mirrorrorrim" data-source="post: 9198273" data-attributes="member: 7040132">My brain sees things differently. As far as I can tell, elves don't have a climb speed nor are they any better at Strength-based ability checks like Athletics for climbing. They aren't climbing masters. If they followed the same rules as everyone, they would fail the climb as often as the PCs and would be open to the ridicule they seem so ready to distribute in the example scenario. This type of storytelling pulls me out of the narrative. I guess the DM just says they as a species are inherently better at climbing trees? What if I was playing a race with claws, like a forest-loving copper dragonborn? Can I justify climbing better even if the race doesn't have that ability?If the elves in question are an athletic species that have an inherent ability that makes them inherently better at something, who then mock people for not having that ability? I won't be caring about engaging productively with those people. Whether it was a small group, a settlement, or an entire species, they'll lose my interest if they are jerks.The mechanics should support the narrative. The narrative should make sense. The mechanics and narrative each have consequences, but they might not be severe. They might just be delays or require different solutions.Normally for me, with a failed Strength (Athletics) check, the climber will simply not progress if they fail. They can roll again and again to make the effort, but if they fail 3 times, they can't climb anymore. Time to go back down. They'd need a short rest to recuperate, rest their strained muscles, before they could try again. Or find a circumstance that changes their effective ability to climb (get aid from another, use a spell, discover a different way, etc.). There is a reason why different members of the adventuring party have different strengths. They can help each other. These skill challenges are little petri dish experiments that inspire teamwork to use noncombat abilities to overcome a challenge for the team. If the players are never going to fail, the noncombat abilities become less useful.</blockquote>

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