Skill Challenges and Milestones

[ryryguy]

Does a skill challenge count as one of the two encounters to reach a milestone?

By the book, it would seem so.

Per PHB - Milestones
You gain certain benefits when you reach a milestone— when you complete two encounters without stopping for an extended rest (see page 263).

Also, "Two kinds of encounters occur in most D&D adventures: combat and noncombat encounters." (PHB 259)

Am I missing something?

I guess having the skill challenge count "feels" a little strange to me, since you generally can't use an action point or (probably) a magic item power during a skill challenge. So if 2 skill challenges in a row = milestone, you get an "extra" action point when you didn't have one "at stake"... if that makes any sense. (Sorry for all the scare quotes, I don't have great terminology to use here.)

On the other hand you may have other resources at stake in the skill challenge, e.g. healing surges.

 

[FurryFighter]

RAW, yes.

 

[Starfox]

A good skill challenge system should obviously have a use for Action Points.

 

[BlightCrawler]

So do puzzles and traps if they are stand alone encounters.

Strictly roleplaying encounters might count too, although I'm not clear on whether or not they are considered encounters by the book.

I also allow action points to reroll skill challenge rolls to make them more useful for SC, but there's no reason someone can't spend one to get an extra roll.