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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 3255537" data-attributes="member: 4937">I also dislike the idea that challenges only have one path 'around' them.  Some ways of overcoming a challenge are more obvious, easier, and straightforward than others, but rarely is there only a single way to overcome a challenge.I would classify challenges as follows:1) Combat - A challenge most directly overcome by applying the systems combat resolution system.  This category generally deserves its own category mainly due to the degree of emphasis most RPG's place on combat resolution.  Character ability tends to be the most important part of overcoming the challenge, though a player's tactical ability can play a relatively large role especially if the DM designs the challenge with tactical solutions/problems in mind.2) Non-combat Character Skill - A challenge which is most directly overcome by using a character's intrinsic non-combat abilities - whether 'skills', ability checks, class abilities, or spells.  Player skill is relatively unimportant although in some cases the ability may have to be applied in a creative or unusual way, and collectively these challenges may test a player's ability to manage limited resources.  Solving the problem is relatively more difficult than figuring out how to solve the problem.  3) Player Skill - A challenge which is most directly overcome using the player's wit and intelligence - puzzles, riddles, games of skill - and character skill is relatively unimportant (usually providing only hints).  Figuring out how to solve the problem is more of a challenge than actually accomplishing it.4) Roleplaying - A challenge which is most directly overcome by communicating in character with an NPC which is potentially amicable to (or can be tricked into) aiding the PC's (wittingly or otherwise).  Often a mixture of character and player skill is required to overcome the problem, as the game referee will generally be unwilling to allow low charisma PC's to easily pass such such challenges regardless of the wit and insight the player has, and on the other hand will generally demand that players of even high charisma PC's 'earn' the right to a test of character ability by performing some minimum ammount of role playing (and will often even then apply a circumstance bonus or penalty based on the quality of the role playing and intelligence of the approach to the problem.)5) Evasion - A challenge which is most directly overcome by avoiding it, either in running away, stealth, or by simply knowing when to go around and/or avoid a pointless sidetrack.I think a good adventure presents problems that suggest some combination of the above approaches, with certain problems being more easily overcome with one approach than others.  I also, as a personal preference, I prefer challenges which test player ability over ones that test character ability alone.  Thus, I tend to like combats in which certain choices are available which reduce the difficulty of the fight, and challenges which are in the form of 'quasi-puzzles' were the brute application of character skill will suffice, but which some insight into the problem by the player will greatly reduce the amount of character skill required and the likelihood of consequential failure.</blockquote>

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