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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cadfan" data-source="post: 4204226" data-attributes="member: 40961">Q. Why can't I use intimidate to get the Duke to do what I want??A. This skill challenge only makes sense in the context of specific adventurers trying to convince a specific duke to do a specific thing.  Maybe this set of PCs can't intimidate the Duke because he has a big army and will have them hung by morning if they convince him they're a threat.Q. But what if I'm like, 25th level and capable of demolishing his entire duke-dom or whatever its called.A. Then the skill challenge would be modified by your DM to match your specific situation.Q. Why do I have to hear the Duke's comment before I can use my history skill?A. You could conceivably use your history skill at any time.  But you won't know the particular bit of historical information until your DM tells it to you, so you won't be able to use it in the conversation.Q. But I'm trained in History!  I should be able to roll to know any historical information I want.A. Why?  And how would you know to roll to find out this particular piece of information anyways?  Nothing in this prohibits other uses of the History skill.  This is just one bit of pc/npc banter that the DM has written up in advance in his DM-notes.  Its not taking away other possibilities.Q. Why can't I use skills that aren't listed?  Like, umm, athletics!A. You can.  But you have to come up with an explanation for why it would help, and the DM might not agree.Q. Why aren't there other possibilities besides just success and failure?A. There probably are.  For example, the use of one skill that can't create successes or failures might set you up for the use of another skill that can.  But we don't know this yet.Q. What if the party succeeds at 8 skill checks that make sense to be successes, but none of them "closes the deal?"A. Two possible answers.  The first is that what counts as a success may change as the skill challenge moves forwards.  The second is that rules like "8 successes before 3 failures" are essentially guides to DMs to help them narrate.  So if the DM is on the ball, he'll make sure that the deal is about to close after the 7th success or so.Q. But isn't changing what counts as a success in order to force the use of a particular "deal closing" at the end of a skill challenge a sort of straight jacket?A. No.  Not if the way things changed is based on player actions.  Suppose your skill challenge is convincing a street tough to roll over on his higher-ups.  You've spent 7 successes worth of time moralizing to him, reminding him of the hard times he went through as a kid, and trying to convince him that he should reform his life and help prevent those things to happening to more innocents.  You've just finished reminding him of his loving grandma, whom he hasn't seen in years.  Then suddenly you try to get your 8th success by holding his face underwater until he begs for mercy.  Your DM rules that your actions are counter productive, and undermine all the successes you've previously earned.  Its not railroading to make such a ruling, since its a logical consequence of your own decisions.  That's the opposite of railroading.Q. But won't players just figure out the best skill they have available, then use it repeatedly?A. Not necessarily.  Again, as the situation changes, what helps you achieve your goals changes.  If you're trying to evacuate a burning town, and you start by giving a speech to the fleeing townsfolk to convince them to start a bucket line from the river to the town, a second identical speech won't do any good after they've already been convinced.  You'll have to find something else to do.Q. But if you strip all of this down to its bare roots, its just a series of d20 rolls.  There's no game here.A. By that logic most RPGs aren't games at all.  In this case, the roleplaying provides the game.  You are correct in your belief that roleplaying a diplomatic encounter with a Duke is no fun if you skip the roleplaying, just name a skill, and roll a d20.  That's why you're not supposed to do that.</blockquote>

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