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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7788732" data-attributes="member: 6796661">One of my goals as a DM is to make sure that all skills matter, even more so when a player has built their character to have background and proficiencies that emphasize certain skills.  There are two reasons, IME, that players ask to make a skill check: (1)  they've played in games where they didn't follow the order of play as spelled out in the PHB and that's just how they know how to play or (2) they feel that I'm not giving them sufficient opportunity to use their character's skills.  With number one, I educate them on how I run the game at my table in order to change their behavior. With number two, I make an effort to change my behavior as a DM to help characters shine. The first thing I determine with any encounter or challenge is whether success is a given or if it is impossible. So, focusing on insight, there are times where the NPC is just obviously lying. But the player may ask whether there are any tells that would give away further information beyond that the NPC is lying. So even with an obvious success there may be a roll (you catch the guy stealing red handing but he is stupidly refusing to admit that he pocketed your coin purse, I'm not going to call for a roll to tell if he is lying, but maybe an insight check on whether he is afraid of the party, afraid of some third party, or not at all afraid and believes that there is nothing the party can do about it).  Not needed to roll because success is impossible is far less come with insight check in my experience. I guess if a player asks to determine how a wall feels about being a wall. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":-)" title="Smile    :-)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":-)" />   But there could be some creature that is so alien in its thinking that normal insight checks just won't work. Perhaps intelligent plants are impossible to read for emotion, for example. The motives of a far-realm elder thing may be impossible for mere mortals to comprehend. In the vast majority of situations, if a player is attempting to glean more information simply by intuiting it, I'll call for an insight check. I use passive insight to help telescope that they have a "feeling" about someone or something that may prompt them to pay more attention and perhaps take actions that call for active insight, perception, or investigation checks.Harder for me is where multiple characters want to use their insight. I'm not a fan of everyone making skill checks for everything. It slows down the game and makes the characters who focus in certain skills less special. It also makes the help action less useful.  Not sure if how I handle this is RAW, but what I do is:1. Sometimes, you have to have proficiency in a skill to get to make a skill check. I do this less common with insight, but if the party is dealing with very different cultures or races, I may simply state a situation is too difficult to read, unless a character is exceptionally insightful (has proficiency). 2. Generally, one character can make the check and another can help to give the acting character advantage. 3. If there is an obvious failure and other players really want to let their characters give it a try, I may let them if they can describe a different tact that their character is taking. Perhaps they have to make a successful intimidation, persuasion, perception, or investigation check before they can make a new insight check. Also if the player comes up with a new line of questioning, I make let them make another check. While I don't want success to be entirely hooked to player skill, I see nothing wrong with rewarding player skill and player inspiration.  4. Speaking of inspiration, I'll let someone spend a point of inspiration for another shot, but they can't be helped with that roll. I.e., help plus inspiration will allow three rolls on the check. Insight is in danger of receding to background at higher levels as class abilities, feats, and spells become more reliable ways of getting information. How I handle this is I make sure insight gives, well, further insights than you can get from a spell, etc.  When I think of a high-level character using insight, I model that on Patrick Jane from The Mentalist.  Or those mentalist performers who appear to perform magic feats of mentalism. Or really talented spiritualists who claim to speak to the dead by using a variety of tricks get information from you. Lastly, I like to find ways that various skills complement each other. Insight can help with persuasion and deception and vice versa. Even in combat, I might let a clever use of insight help a character determine what an opponents next move likely is. That could lead to me awarded that character an AC bonus, and attack bonus, or a move up the initiative order.</blockquote>

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