LostSoul
Adventurer
The problem with Skill Challenges is that the DMG mechanics are crappy. That's not to say you can't make gold out of them, but you need the tools to do it - and they don't provide them in the DMG.
What makes a Skill Challenge shine? The same thing that makes a skill check shine - attention to the fictional situation. The DMG structure fails because it puts its focus on rolling dice and the mechanical process - and the mechanical process is not very satisfying on its own (unlike combat).
Why are Skill Challenges valuable? Because they offer a discrete end to a conflict, the same way HP do. Do you make attack rolls until the DM decides that the monster/PC falls? No. In the same way, however, the DM can decide the monsters give up, just like he can decide that some actions count for automatic successes.
Skill Challenges work but you need to approach them in a way the DMG does not support. One could do worse than taking Darren's points and making sure that you avoid them.
What makes a Skill Challenge shine? The same thing that makes a skill check shine - attention to the fictional situation. The DMG structure fails because it puts its focus on rolling dice and the mechanical process - and the mechanical process is not very satisfying on its own (unlike combat).
Why are Skill Challenges valuable? Because they offer a discrete end to a conflict, the same way HP do. Do you make attack rolls until the DM decides that the monster/PC falls? No. In the same way, however, the DM can decide the monsters give up, just like he can decide that some actions count for automatic successes.
Skill Challenges work but you need to approach them in a way the DMG does not support. One could do worse than taking Darren's points and making sure that you avoid them.
