D&D General The Crab Bucket Fallacy

[tetrasodium]

If the fighter player and the monk player wants to be helpful in a social encounter but they have a bard with +10, how do you handle it?

It depends on how they are helpful. There used to be a pretty simple framework for juggling how various forms of help might adjust a roll/DC & it still works pretty well.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's pretty similar to skill challenges done in literally the most boring way possible. In fact I'm not sure that it's possible to be that boring within the rules of 4e.

A skill challenge is trying to deal with a complex task, and part of the point is that everyone brings their own thing and they work out how to work together. And that the experts take on the hardest parts, with there being an intentional range of DCs being used. The final version of the skill challenge rules IIRC means that there had to be a range of difficulties.

Listening to players constantly demand to use this specific skill (that they happen to have the best bonus in) for every skill challenge isn't all that exciting either.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Listening to players constantly demand to use this specific skill (that they happen to have the best bonus in) for every skill challenge isn't all that exciting either.

For some reason I don't have this happen in my games. Possibly because I ask them what they are actually doing - and possibly because I actually use the skill challenge rules - and an easy difficulty roll with a bad skill may be a better pick than a hard difficulty roll with a good one.

 

[Micah Sweet]

For some reason I don't have this happen in my games. Possibly because I ask them what they are actually doing - and possibly because I actually use the skill challenge rules - and an easy difficulty roll with a bad skill may be a better pick than a hard difficulty roll with a good one.

I find unstructured roleplay punctuated by the occasional roll to suit my needs far better than the skill challenge system, but you do you.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Am I the only one here hat regularly sees everything from Athletics and Actobatics to Investigation to History to Medicine used in social encounters?

 

[Oofta]

Am I the only one here hat regularly sees everything from Athletics and Actobatics to Investigation to History to Medicine used in social encounters?

Yeah, some people really seem to be borderline obsessed with persuasion checks. Other checks come up more often. Persuasion may be the single skill most used, but others are also used all the time. Throw in using other abilities for things like when the half-orc barbarian grabs someone by the front of the shirt and lifts them off the ground which is going to be in intimidate check using strength.

 

[Minigiant]

Am I the only one here hat regularly sees everything from Athletics and Actobatics to Investigation to History to Medicine used in social encounters?

Well I do skill challenges.

But well... Don't make it a rule, don't expect it to be common.

Persuasion is the only default skill that does automatically cause hostility on pass or fail.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Listening to players constantly demand to use this specific skill (that they happen to have the best bonus in) for every skill challenge isn't all that exciting either.

Old hotness: We don't like unstructured social play because that's just "Playing the DM."

New hotness: We don't like skill challenges or checks because that's just "Playing the DM."

The more things change ....

 

[Tony Vargas]

Listening to players constantly demand to use this specific skill (that they happen to have the best bonus in) for every skill challenge isn't all that exciting either.

What are the exciting parts for the DM, again? I've been running so long I may have gone excitement-blind to them.

 

[FrogReaver]

Old hotness: We don't like unstructured social play because that's just "Playing the DM."

New hotness: We don't like skill challenges or checks because that's just "Playing the DM."

The more things change ....

There’s an inordinate amount of faux solutions in every domain that just push the real problem down 1 level.