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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vyvyan Basterd" data-source="post: 4112298" data-attributes="member: 4892">Well, not that Rodney's blog is a preview, per se, the mechanics were previewed at DDXP. The History check to escape the guards is a great example. I don't consider this to be a "just wing it" representation either. Good advice for a DM is that they cannot possibly think of every possible solution to a challenge. Many games I have played and many I have run have sufferd from the DM knowing the "right" solution to the problem. It leads to railroading and giving the players the impression that their choice make no difference and that they are really only in the game to solve the DMs latest puzzle.The article had solid advice and I could glean the rules just from his short description:1) The DM presents the party with the Non-Combat Challege. (ex. escape from the town guards.)2) The DM sets DCs with success levels. For example a DC 5 check may result in a victory that leads to a new problem, while a DC 20 check may not only solve the current problem but also provide an added benefit to others or the PC. (He mentions level of success.)3) The player tells the DM his plan to solve the problem and the skill(s) he would like to use to accomplish said goal.4) The DM determines if the combined plan and skill make sense together.5) At the DMs approval, make your skill check.6) DM determines the outcome based on level of success.This would make for good rules structure, realizing that the DM always has to "wing it" when determining the outcome of an untold number of ideas that different players may devise.Hopefully good guidelines for skills and the implementation of the above is fleshed out in the PHB and DMG. This is key. The above mechanics have been available since the DSG and WSG were released for 1E but none of the designers took the time to give the DM guidelines on how to use the player's ideas to guide the outcome in hand with the rules system. Previous editions left the DM to "wing" the system entirely.</blockquote>

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