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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 9609495" data-attributes="member: 4937">This is not a problem with D&amp;D specifically.&nbsp; This is a problem with skill challenges generally.&nbsp;&nbsp; If for example you present a hard stealth challenge, then it's almost certainly better to send in a single stealth specialist than it is to try to have the entire group pass the challenge given that some members will be inept at stealth.&nbsp; If you have a hard social challenge, it's almost certain the case that only the socials specialists are necessary and able to pass the challenge and they'll do better working alone than with characters that treated CHR as a dump stat and are officious in all social situations.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a design challenge that is pretty much independent of game system provided that character concepts like &quot;bad in social situations&quot; exist.&nbsp; Dealing with it is hard because the real solution is split the party along the lines of tasks that they are each good at, but not only is designing that hard it requires some imagination on the part of players to utilize each characters strength.&nbsp; Not only do you have to design the puzzle, but they have to for example realize that Count Sedrick loves nothing more than betting on gladiatorial combat and that presenting the uncultured barbarian as a potential prize fighter would attract his interest more readily than elegant talk at parties.&nbsp; Or at least be open to that as some previously unstated aspect of the Count's character.Chase scene design is also complicated, but this protest sounds something like complaining that combat is pointless because a class might have an ability that trivializes it, like for example a character might can both fly and have strong ranged attacks making Tyrannosaurus Rex pointless as an encounter.&nbsp; That's an encounter design issue, and not a problem with combat.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 9609495, member: 4937"] This is not a problem with D&D specifically. This is a problem with skill challenges generally. If for example you present a hard stealth challenge, then it's almost certainly better to send in a single stealth specialist than it is to try to have the entire group pass the challenge given that some members will be inept at stealth. If you have a hard social challenge, it's almost certain the case that only the socials specialists are necessary and able to pass the challenge and they'll do better working alone than with characters that treated CHR as a dump stat and are officious in all social situations. This is a design challenge that is pretty much independent of game system provided that character concepts like "bad in social situations" exist. Dealing with it is hard because the real solution is split the party along the lines of tasks that they are each good at, but not only is designing that hard it requires some imagination on the part of players to utilize each characters strength. Not only do you have to design the puzzle, but they have to for example realize that Count Sedrick loves nothing more than betting on gladiatorial combat and that presenting the uncultured barbarian as a potential prize fighter would attract his interest more readily than elegant talk at parties. Or at least be open to that as some previously unstated aspect of the Count's character. Chase scene design is also complicated, but this protest sounds something like complaining that combat is pointless because a class might have an ability that trivializes it, like for example a character might can both fly and have strong ranged attacks making Tyrannosaurus Rex pointless as an encounter. That's an encounter design issue, and not a problem with combat. [/QUOTE]

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