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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 5714375" data-attributes="member: 82106">I'm not at all sure why it would matter which side makes checks. I'm just saying, the principle with SCs is just generally that PCs do all the dice tossing. It is merely a simplification which streamlines play and keeps the action focused on what the PCs are doing. An NPC making a counter-argument is simply an obstacle. Whichever PC it might be directed at (if it is directed at a specific one even) will be able to make a check, possibly even choosing a specific counter-argument/tactic (IE using a favorable skill).Again, I think that this is pretty much normal for SCs unless the DM is particularly uncreative. Naturally you DO want to allow players some leeway in what skills to use, but the SC system was NEVER intended to be "pick your best skill and make up a reason it would apply." Well, I'm certainly not averse to their being more standard advice on specifics that are useful for say social challenges (or others either for that matter, many of the same considerations can apply in other cases where there is active opposition).Oh, I think it is fine to build up a repertoire of 'tricks and devices' to use where you can say "OK, someone is arguing with the PCs, you can approach that like THIS" etc. That's fine. I am just of the mindset that in general the mechanics can be at most minor variations on the straight up base SC. There certainly can be ones that are very specific to a certain situation where you create a somewhat different mini-game, like the Suderhome example in DMG2. You just run the risk sometimes of those types of challenges suddenly blowing right out of your set of assumptions (like lets say the PCs decided to burn down the whole town, your highly customized mini-game probably won't handle that well but a vanilla SC is more likely to stay applicable because it is so generic in rules structure).</blockquote>

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