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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Feldspar" data-source="post: 3082715" data-attributes="member: 20450">But players and characters are different - should it matter how good of a story I can come up with if my character is smarter than me, more charismatic than me and a tremendously accomplished lier (+10 ranks in Bluff)?  I could never think as quickly on my feet and dissemble with the ease that such a character could.  If a player has allocated his characters resources to be good at something - why should you stand in their way just because the player is not good at that?Lets contrast that with some barely literate half-orc barbarian with penalties in Cha, Int and Wis and no ranks in social skills, but is played by a slick, quick thinking player. Should that character be better at bluffing than the statted out faceman because his player comes up with better approaches? To me, roleplaying isn't just talking in a funny accent - its making decisions based on the viewpoint, motivations, knowledge and background of your character.  Its the decisions that should be roleplayed. After that decision is made, whether it was to fight or to lie through your teeth, its time for the d20's to fly and decide your fate.I do understand that for many people, interacting in character is a large part of the fun. But I disagree when that becomes the statement that resolving the conflict with a d20 instead of talking in character isn't roleplaying.What I recommend is making the opposed roll (not disclosing the result) *before* acting out the scene.  Allow for a small range of circumstance bonus (maybe a limit of +/- 2 or maybe even up to +/- 5) depending on the quality the player brings.  So if the player won the roll handily, you (the NPC) swallow everything they say no matter how implausible.  If the NPC won handily, then everything they say, no matter how clever it might have been, somehow digs the hole for them a little deeper: "The head butler sent you just now, you say. That's funny, not half an hour ago he choked to death on a chicken bone and I helped carry his body out."  If the rolls are close, within the range you've allowed for circumstance bonus, then acting out the scene gives an opportunity to change the outcome depending on slickness or clumsiness of the player's approach.</blockquote>

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