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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8117298" data-attributes="member: 82106">I think this speaks to the way that there is a definite lack of full commitment to a new paradigm in the design team of 4e. Truthfully, what would be the purpose of having skill challenges if you didn't really intend them to be used in a 'story game' kind of approach? They don't serve much purpose. I mean, yes 3.5 had 'complex skill checks', which is pretty much identical, but it was buried in the back if a supplement that wasn't even released until late in 3.5 and was certainly not some sort of major subsystem or large enhancement to the game. It was more of just another of the myriad of little optional rules that you could use if it suited you in some specific situation. In fact I think it was envisaged there as more just an easy recipe for handling a situation where several skills applied.And as you say, its a terrible way to handle things in a classic sort of game. It does work for a certain type of scenario where you want an 'encounter' that isn't actual combat, but that is really a pretty niche thing. The examples that are given in DMG1 don't even fall into that category really. They are much more 'story' type things, but then they are handled too much like encounters, so it doesn't quite come off.But again, I don't see why this would have been introduced except as a story game kind of a mechanic. It might have been sold as "hey, lets see if people will accept this sort of play and get them familiar with it." If so, I think the idea was badly conceived, and I am more inclined to think it was pushed by one 'faction' of the design team, but the other 'faction' didn't really allow it to be fully articulated in a way that worked. It was a step too far for WotC to take with the team they had working on 4e. Or maybe they just ran out of time, I don't know.</blockquote>

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