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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wedgeski" data-source="post: 5472447" data-attributes="member: 16212">This is another game vs. sim situation where I come down firmly in the "game" camp.Does a Strength check represent the physical act of the PC heaving his shoulder against the boulder, with or without help from his friends? If so, the only consequence(s) of failure are time, which is not a tangible enough currency to matter in most games I would warrant, and the possible unwarranted attention they're going to get from the racket they're making.Or does it represent the party's attempt to overcome an obstacle, which includes clearing the roots around the boulder, using levers, checking out the terrain, maybe even greasing the damn thing, but for which, ultimately, someone with muscle gets to do the heavy lifting?In this case failure is not a blip in the road, it's an acceptance on the part of the party that unless something radically new is brought to bear, that boulder isn't going anywhere and they're going to have to find another way around.I much, much prefer the latter. And for serious obstacles, Skill Challenges or whatever equivalent people like to use in their system of choice are a good way of modelling the application of several different skills to what might otherwise be a fairly dull aided Strength check.</blockquote>