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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6243545" data-attributes="member: 6696971">I'm going to have to be brief (that may be to our advantage!) as I'm heading out shortly, but I'll try to address.I think what is probably at work here is the continuum of abstraction and "zoomage" twixt task resolution and conflict resolution.  In my games, soft transitions (Transition Scenes) between conflicts (Action Scenes where something is at stake)  work generally as standard exploratory play.  Describe (i) action and (ii) intent with respect to the (iii) fictional positioning > (iv) consult resolution mechanics > result is fairly tightly constrained.  It is certainly not outright binary process simulation (especially with 4e's broad descriptor skills), but its much further zoomed in and much less abstracted than when invoking conflict resolution mechanics (Skill Challenge in this case).  So there is a fluctuation of zoom-in vs zoom-out, abstract less vs abstract more that takes place.Further, I think part of it may have just been miscommunication.  There is, unfortunately, information loss when you aren't dealing with someone in real time and/or you don't have chemistry with them born of a considerable number of exchanges and table time.  I think the below is an example of that:In this case, your initial Disguise Self (Bluff) check is inherent to the power deployed itself so the intent of the mechanics take precedence.  The Illusion spell requires you to make a Bluff check (with + 5 power bonus) opposed by target's Insight check.  Success (which occurred in this case) establishes the illusory ruse as successful.  You became that gutter rut female (I believe that is what it was from memory) to the target.If we would have been on the same page about your intent to sit and talk with the figure (with reference to the immediate fictional positioning), I would have asked for Diplomacy at the Hard DC) and then we would have gone from there.Subsequent to that, we had several other actions (many unsuccessful unfortunately!).  Ultimately, things were escalated by Quinn's failed efforts and the NPC response to those efforts.  If the fictional positioning warranted it, I would have closed the scene, briefly captured an end to your efforts, and cut back to the other players.  However, I felt it made more genre sense and better fit the fictional positioning to escalate it to violence and have the lackey dispatched to take care of you while the Court Mage beat a quick retreat.  As such, the situation turned into an Action Scene where we resolved the conflict whereby your information gathering effort was on the line.  As it turned out, the evolution of the conflict dictated that you had to save the lackey from the rat swarm and cow him into your employ to achieve it.  Which you did.If things would have gone differently with your checks, it probably would have come to pass that (i) Quinn's efforts would have been completely covert, (ii) Quinn would have discerned that the rod that the figure carried bore the glyph that was on the back of the necks of the ruffians that Theron dispatched, (iii) the signet ring he was wearing was that of the Court Mage, and (iv) they were down there harvesting cadavers (or making their own) for ritual components.Conversely, you could have just learned some rumors about the Chamberlain if you wanted to go with a Streetwise check.</blockquote>

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