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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 5510061" data-attributes="member: 12037">The problem is that Skill Challenges have to be very general where combat rules cover are specific.Here are some examples of skill challenges I've run:- Finding useful books, potions, and scrolls in a crumbling tower that could fall at any moment.- Driving a barely operational and highly dangerous goblin-made car through an underground complex - Throwing off the effects of an elder brain in order to reach the lower levels of a mind flayer space ship- Convincing a group of mercenaries to switch to the PCs' side mid-battleIt's going to be incredibly difficult to make a set of deep, interesting, rules to that can cover these and more scenarios. I could make different rule system around each one, inventing various possible actions, reactions, rolls, and countermeasures against events. Each would be vastly different and allow the PCs to do completely different things.But, that wouldn't be practical. It wouldn't be practical from a publishing standpoint, first of all. Page counts, man-hours spent designing the rules, etc, from WotC means no way. I could theoretically design my own cool rules for riding that goblin car or elder brain mental combat. But, of course, I can't just hand over two pages of rules to my players and enjoy it. Too much learning, then questions, and probably some contention.So, what we have is pretty good. Not as good as it could be, and maybe the rules could be better! I've seen some good analysis of Skill Challenges on these boards, and some good house rules. But, comparing it to combat is simply not the right way to go about it. Skill Challenges will never, by definition, be up to the level that combat is. And, that's okay. My players enjoy Skill Challenges immensely. They can be fast paced ordeals, with everyone participating equally, and involving lots of imagination and quick thinking. They are varied and can be used for fun/outlandish/unexpected scenarios that are attention grabbers. Simply put, they're fun!</blockquote>

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