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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Will Doyle" data-source="post: 5732404" data-attributes="member: 6682161">Absolutely. A good many people are simply flummoxed by situations where lateral thinking is demanded. Not to say they're bad players: they may struggle to reach that high lever, but they're great at roleplaying conversations, or cooking up tactics during combat. A good challenge, in my opinion (and as many have echoed above), is one that has a hardwired solution using character powers, but is varied enough that it can also be solved using a bit of imagination. Whether the DM presents those hardwired options up front, or requires the player to think of them themselves, is a matter of taste. But they're there.  It's also the best stance for published adventures to take. If I were just starting to play RPGs, and I came across an encounter where not only were my players flummoxed, but I was too? No thanks - I'm glad those days are gone. When designing my own puzzles for my own group? Sure. As sidebar rules in the DMG? Sure. But not as core, please.</blockquote>