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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 8193259" data-attributes="member: 6801845">Sometimes I'll just have the players resolve challenges through the actions of their PCs, no rolls needed, other times it will be a series of checks.The actual mechanics vary but there are some things I try to keep in mind<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">What the PCs do and the content of what they say matters.&nbsp; I don't expect players to have silver tongues just because their PCs do.&nbsp; </li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Vary the skills; I like to keep a &quot;cheat sheet&quot; handy with a list of who's good at what just so I remember to switch it up now and then.&nbsp; </li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Allow a variety of skills to overcome obstacles, just because I only thought of using an athletics check to open the portcullis, perhaps a player wants to use some skill from their carpenter background to use a fulcrum.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Actions and checks have consequences; even if I have a 6 step process in mind, if the players do something cool, maybe they can resolve it in 2.&nbsp; Or maybe things just go wrong and it takes 8.&nbsp; In part this is result of degree of success and failure but also having the actions and words of the PCs should matter.</li>
</ul>One more thing (and for some reason this is controversial) is that sometimes I will allow a check even if I know it will never fail or succeed as an exception to the rule.&nbsp; I do this because I may not to give the player knowledge they should not have.&nbsp; If the person they're questioning is telling the truth but an insight would be called for I allow it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 8193259, member: 6801845"] Sometimes I'll just have the players resolve challenges through the actions of their PCs, no rolls needed, other times it will be a series of checks. The actual mechanics vary but there are some things I try to keep in mind [LIST] [*]What the PCs do and the content of what they say matters. I don't expect players to have silver tongues just because their PCs do. [*]Vary the skills; I like to keep a "cheat sheet" handy with a list of who's good at what just so I remember to switch it up now and then. [*]Allow a variety of skills to overcome obstacles, just because I only thought of using an athletics check to open the portcullis, perhaps a player wants to use some skill from their carpenter background to use a fulcrum. [*]Actions and checks have consequences; even if I have a 6 step process in mind, if the players do something cool, maybe they can resolve it in 2. Or maybe things just go wrong and it takes 8. In part this is result of degree of success and failure but also having the actions and words of the PCs should matter. [/LIST] One more thing (and for some reason this is controversial) is that sometimes I will allow a check even if I know it will never fail or succeed as an exception to the rule. I do this because I may not to give the player knowledge they should not have. If the person they're questioning is telling the truth but an insight would be called for I allow it. [/QUOTE]

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