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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5585825" data-attributes="member: 54877">I was envisioning something more like what Abdul listed. But it is true, that if the DM is not aware of the decision points, and the conceptual differences between narration from previous results versus build up to next decision point, then it could get pretty clunky. But it is hard to say that flatly, because "role-play out making the argument," could be several different conceptual things, depending upon what the participants were doing.  For us, it works fairly naturally, because I don't have set decision points in mind. That might be part of what is making this seem strange. For example, I'm not setting up the scene with something like, "You need a DC 25 Diplomacy check to get the duke to fund your trip." (Or a skill challenge, or any other such option.) If you've already got that set as a goal, and then you want roleplaying to be a major factor in the talks with the duke, then what gets said in that conversation is the whole point of the scene.  Rather, I'm reacting to the scene as it is being roleplayed, recognizing that a decision point is being reached, setting the DC appropriately (much as Abdul discussed), calling for a roll (or rolls), and then allowing the players to narrate the result appropriately. Note that the "roleplaying" leading up the decision point can be in character conversation with the duke (in 1st or 3rd person), but it can also be characterization, plans, asides, and so forth. If you are familiar with "Say Yes, or Roll the Dice" it is something analogous that I did long before I heard that thought. It might be described as, "Say Yes until you Roll the Dice." <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=":)" />  It is not unlike the tense prelude of some combats. The antagonists size up each other. There is some posturing. Some comments are made. Advantage in positioning is sought. People look for ways out. But eventually you reach that decision point where someone backs off, or you roll initiative. It is true that I might strongly suspect, or even know from player comments, that they intend to ask the duke for backing.  I might already be mulling DCs.  But that is still different from a preset check.  If in the midst of the preliminary roleplaying, another decision point is reached first, we'll be rolling and narrating from that result.  This may even rule out the diplomacy check.</blockquote>

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