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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cadence" data-source="post: 8447829" data-attributes="member: 6701124">There are some parts of exploration that feel akin to combat to me in that there are specific checks and rolls (finding traps, searching for secret doors, rolls opposing stealth).  And there are other parts of exploration that feel different - exploring what is in a town, and often having things only come up in the game because they were asked about (is there anyone in town with a good selection of books?  any talk of a business that is struggling?  any stray young kids it looks like I could hire to tail someone?  anyone who speaks giant?  anyone who kind of looks like me and could pass from a distance?  any healing potions available?). Some of those the I would just make a ruling on and add to the world if it seems like there would certainly be/not be there (is that like ruling something an auto success?), and some I probably put in because it fits the story and seems a shame not to,  and some I have them make a roll on (do I always want everything obscure they're shopping for to be/not-be in a small town's shop?).  And then there's the issue of even if it is there, did they take the right approach to finding it?  What if they're asking the out of town teamsters about the book owner vs. asking the local magistrate or mage?  How are they trying to spot the local kids and approach them?  And then there's the decision of if it is worth the bother to have them describe out the whole search process if it feels like they'd like to do something else or it's a side issue.Or is that last paragraph social instead of exploration?  Is a lot of social in D&D like that part of what I called exploration?   Sometimes the folks the PCs are interacting with seem like they'd naturally react in a way regardless of roll (or requiring an exceptional roll), and sometimes a roll is called for because not every person in the bar is going to fawn over the Bard.And does that even go over in to combat some?  If the party got some tremendous luck with lots of damage on some low level spells, would the targets mistakenly think the party was higher level and stronger?  Would that change how they react, or maybe attempt to leave combat?   Does one need a morale or intimidation roll every time?  Sometimes is it fine to let the party bluff without needing a roll if it seems like it would surely work in real life?  Is it wrong to require a roll?Even for combat, are there some places it's glossed over.  Do you make the high level party roll to rout the kobolds that make a very bad life decision and try to ambush the party?---The issue that some games give the players formal authority to re-write NPC backstory or the like through expenditure of resources seems to me a different thing than whether social role-playing can happen in the rules.  It feels like the act of having the DM decide on the NPC backstory vs. the players having authority to write that vs. the DM being open to suggestions is orthogonal to the players having the characters attempt to interact with the beings and physical world around them.</blockquote>

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