Skill challenge vs. acting it out

[LostSoul]

Acting it out is cool.

Rolling dice is cool, too.

What I like best is when rolling the dice enhances the acting.

It comes down to making each roll matter so that we don't know what's going to happen until we roll the dice, and we are invested on the outcome of each action.

I have to think more about how this applies to skill challenges. There is some interesting stuff going on there - not just failure and success of the whole challenge, but also the fact that the DM doesn't roll.

What I'm thinking is that the DM pushes forward something volitile, a situation ready to explode, something that cannot be ignored; the player responds by doing something kick-ass; the dice resolve the action and change the situation; and the overall success and failure determines how things finally end up, when the situation is resolved (but not how).

Hopefully from what actions the PCs have taken, how the situation has changed over the course of the challenge, we have a new situation that we want to explore.

 

[questing gm]

I've run a few small skill challenges for my group and have found that combining the two efforts is the best way to handle it. Reward the people who get into the spirit of things and make an effort to roleplay by lowering their DCs on-the-fly.

"I bluff the Duke into thinking there's goblins coming", DC 15 check

"Sire, surely you have heard the rumors of the vast goblin army amassing on the east border! This grave danger must be confronted and vanquished, lest your entire town fall to the goblin hordes! (OOC: I'm trying to bluff him)", DC 10 check

I agree but instead of lowering down the DC, I'd give them a +2 mod, you know, the DM's best friend? (or was he brutually murdered in 4E?)

 

[Runestar]

I personally feel that the drama from a properly rp'ed scenario should suffice as its own reward, and don't really feel that it is apt to reward the players any further beyond this. The results of their social skill challenge would still be determined solely by their die rolls. This way, how good or bad the PCs are at a certain task will be decided only by their stats, and not influenced by the players themselves in any way.

 

[Hathorym]

I personally feel that the drama from a properly rp'ed scenario should suffice as its own reward, and don't really feel that it is apt to reward the players any further beyond this.

I find this extremely interesting, and completely contrary to my views. My belief is that excellent role-play should be more rewarded than anything that requires the mundane task of rolling a die. The drama that arises is just icing on a delicious and well-deserved experience point cake.

As to the OPs question, it is my belief that the rules are there as guidelines only, and that if you wish to remove role-play skill challenges completely, you are well within your right to do so. The rules are not in stone, nor will anyone come knocking on your door if you break them. They key is to make the game fun for you and your players, and if that involves the dismissal of an insignificant portion of the rules to facilitate that enjoyment, then so be it.

 

[TheNovaLord]

writing our 4e campaign as aside from Thunderspire everything published has been way too combatty

encourage acting out / coming with clever idea or use of encounter power

i use quite a lot of skill challenge type situations

If the player comes up with an excellent idea, or amuses me no end, i tend to give a free success...especially when 2 or more party members cleverly play off each others ideas...

i guess do what you and the players feel most comfortbale with?

plenty of chances to roll dice in combat