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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6162170" data-attributes="member: 42582">At least from my perspective, I feel there is a big difference between GM discretion over how action resolution works (which is what most of your examples are about) and GM discretion over how action resolution is framed and how the results of action resolution are interpreted (which is what I was trying to get at in my post).I think GM discretion over the latter is a fairly important part of the mainstream roleplaying experience. If players get to frame their own challenges, and interpret their own consequences, it can be hard for them to apply enough pressure to their own PCs to keep things exciting!I think GM discretion over the former - like what is the mechanic for grappling a troll, or resolving a jump, or talking to a stranger - tends just to lead to a poor gaming experience, as players cannot declare actions for their PC with any confidence, and hence in practice either (i) retreat to those areas of the system which do have reliable rules, like combat, or (ii) give up protagonisim and essentially "play along" with the GM's game.I think the key issue here is "arbitrariness". [MENTION=4892]Vyvyan Basterd[/MENTION] has pointed to comparable systems (eg Milestones in MHRP) which aren't arbitrary (and don't necessarily have to be GM-adjudicated at all).The broader issue of "DM empowerment" in D&Dnext is one I'm not sure about. I have a certain fondness for flexible, portable and robust action resolution mechanics. (4e skill challenges are one example, though perhaps not the best.) Stat checks have the potential to be one part of that. But other stuff is needed too, like guidlines on setting stakes and establishing finality of resolution (which is what hit points do in combat). At the moment I feel that that is missing. Without that, I think the same issues I mentioned above will tend to occur: either (i) retreat into combat, where hit points do establish finality; or (ii) surrender protagonism and just go along with the GM's thing.</blockquote>

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