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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stalker0" data-source="post: 4892186" data-attributes="member: 5889">I think the ultimate question comes down to: What are skill challenges suppose to accomplish, and ultimately do they do that better than other mechanics?The way I see it Skill Challenges fill two main niches:1) Provide an avenue for characters to make heavy use of skills.2) Provide a way to model a complex noncombat scene into a straightforward, flexible system.To the first point, I think skill challenges do this, but I don't know if its the best way to do it. Alternatives would be stunt type systems or simply a beefier set of mechanics to explain more things you can do with your skills. While I thought the 3e Epic Handbook didn't work particularly well...one thing I loved in that book were the epic uses for skills. The fact that sense motive was useful...but if it was high enough you could actually detect alignment with it made it even more interesting!I think 4e could be well served by that. What does a 40 bluff check in the 4e world mean? Am I just really good a lying...or have I gone beyond that and can do even more?If players had more examples of interesting ways to use skills, then they might try to use those skills naturally as opposed to being pushed into it through the mechanical skill challenge system.To the 2nd point, I think at times skill challenges are more of a benefit than a burden. My primary example would be a social scene. The eternal debate in roleplaying systems is: How do you mechanically model the socially inept guy who is playing the smooth talking character....without hindering the roleplay too much.Its a constant battle between free form roleplaying and rigid mechanics...for the two tend to conflict with each other. I think in this instance skill challenges go too far into mechanics. When players are choosing skills and rolling lots of dice....they forget to talk. Having tried both sides of the coin....I think I'm happier with lighter social mechanics and more free form roleplaying. So in that regard, I would rather roll a simple diplomacy check and then roleplay from there.</blockquote>

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