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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zaruthustran" data-source="post: 6129130" data-attributes="member: 1457">I'm a fan of skill systems that have degrees of success, and that don't get in the way of story. FATE and 13th Age do a good job of this; even if you fail a roll, you can succeed at the task. For example: you make a Gather Information (or Int, or Cha, or whatever you prefer) check to learn the identity of who is responsible for the murders on Fishmonger Street. If you succeed spectacularly on the check, you learn that it's Bob Jones, who lives at 123 Killer Lane. If you succeed, you get a description of the murderer and clues to where he's likely to strike next. If you don't succeed, you get clues where to potentially find more information (victim's families, police reports, sages). If you fail spectacularly, you find nothing--but the murderer finds out you're after him, and attacks you in some way (attacks you directly, attacks your career or loved ones, sends agents, whatever). Succeed or fail, the games moves forward. The players either learn the identity (because they have his name and address, or because they killer's knife is lodged in their cleric's neck). I recognize that experienced DMs already do this, but I think it'd be good for the game if D&D hard-coded "fail forward."</blockquote>