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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 5474477" data-attributes="member: 386">I wonder if skill challenges work best when the obstacles faced and the results of actions are necessarily abstract.Crossing a 50' wide raging river isn't abstract.  You know how wide it is, you can set the current (by giving it a level and an attack modifier against Fort), and what will happen based on different actions is pretty obvious.Climbing a cliff is easily covered by the Athletics skill and movement rates.Wilderness travel is covered by a map.On the other hand, combat is pretty abstract because we're not swinging swords at the table.  I tend to think of social conflict being abstract on the DM's side because I don't always know - or rather, want to know - how a given NPC is going to react to a given PC's words or actions.  (If the DM does know, it's not abstract and there's no reason for skill checks in the first place.)If I were to say, "This forest hex is haunted; the forest is alive and wants to trap PCs within its twisted paths", and I don't have a map of the entire forest, I think I'd have to handle it in an abstract manner.  I could see running a skill challenge that way.Something like creating a magic item is also abstract since I don't know how magic works!  A skill challenge could work.Overland travel can be abstract if you don't have a map.  If I know that crossing the Mountains of Dread is dangerous but I don't have a map of the mountains, I could see using a skill challenge.Just a thought.</blockquote>

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