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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gradine" data-source="post: 8062367" data-attributes="member: 57112">Not necessarily. Here's my general problems with the skill system in 5e:*Binary Outcomes - Success or Failure is probably the least interesting skill check resolution possible. Note that I'm not necessarily talking about "failing forward"; but rather that there's room in the system for "Success, and", "Success, but", and "Failure, but" as potential outcomes to any given check.*Single Roll Encounters - This is a problem that only 4e has tried to resolve (through Skill Challenges) and after multiple attempts they only... sort of succeeded? The problem with 4e skill challenges wasn't the system itself but how the skill system interacted with the class design, which has carried on through to 5th edition. Which leads to another problem.*Unbalanced Class-Pillar Support - Bards are the party face. Rangers handle the exploration pillar. This leaves social skill challenges with the Bard running point everyone else essential being sidekicks. The solution comes from giving each character and each class unique ways to contribute to each pillar. A (poorly executed) example would be the Fighter's Extreme Athlete. The Fighter's excellent conditioning allows them naturally excel at swimming and climbing (outside of heavy armor, anyway). But the Fighter could have access to other choices to help them excel in a variety and encounters. A great-axe fighter may have a background as a lumberjack, and thus know their way around a forest better than most. A mercenary would excel at bartering. A bodyguard? Intimidation, perception, insight. These not only increase choices points at level up but also help flesh out more who the character not only is but was.*Lack of Combat Application - This is the big one that applies to this particular thread. Characters aren't using their skills in "combat". Or at least not nearly often enough. This is an issue with the skill system but also with monster design; adversaries don't often act in ways that necessitate skill checks. We also don't get a lot of mechanical guidance vis-a-vis parley and/or intimidation for various monsters. How much easier is it to scare off a kobold than it is a goblin, or a bugbear, or an owlbear? How easy is it to convince a hobgoblin captain that sustained combat is in neither party's best interest? How about the same, but with an orc warchief? Which types of bears does playing dead work with? Which monstrosities can be bought off/distracted with food? Is the creature territorial? Will they let the PCs leave if they simply back off and try to find another way around? There's a lot of room to building interesting encounters (and interesting adversaries) beyond giving them different combat tactics and abilities.</blockquote>

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