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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5936585" data-attributes="member: 42582">Setting DCs is a big issue, agreed. The Essentials books have some more patches for that (the "advantage" mechanic) but the maths clearly needs more work.But the rigidity of the success/failure mechanic is key. Without it, there is no skill challenge mechanic - all you have is a complex skill check, but no guaranteed conflict resolution. If it's all based around task resolution, with no external (mechanical) constraint on when enough successes are enough, then we're back in the realm of GM fiat and handwaving. Which can be fine as an adjudication style, but won't give players much reason to spend PC build resources on the two non-combat pillars, and won't give players much reason to turn to non-combat options when they are feeling the crunch, and therefore won't support a game where characters are meant to be balanced across the pillars, rather than within each of them.As for discouraging participation: this is another area where multi-dimensionality in stakes setting matters. Suppose the wizard gets caught up in melee, and now the player of the cleric PC is having to spend resources keeping the wizard alive, rather than optimising the cleric's synergies with the fighter. Why doesn't the player of the wizard just sit out the combat? Because the fiction doesn't give him/her that choice. The wizard PC is caught up, and has to act - even if badly - because the logic of the ingame situation dictates it.The same thing applies to non-combat challenges. If you want the player of the dwarf fighter to make diplomacy checks, have NPCs start asking the dwarf why the cat has got his tongue, or why he always lets the namby-pamby elf do the talking! And then, when the player rolls the check and fails, narrate the ensuing complications in such a way that keeps the scene alive and more engaging (just like the thrill of the cleric having to save the mage's bacon in melee!). And makes the player enjoy having engaged the fiction, rather than feel stupid for having done so.I think it's pretty clear that ingle-dimension stakes, where there is never a reason not to just bring the biggest numbers to bear, won't produce very satisfying non-combat play.</blockquote>

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