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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 9194885" data-attributes="member: 42582">There are other design choices too. Two important ones (which don't need to be mutually exclusive) are:4. Have resolution rules whereby a failed check at the table doesn't correlate to failure at the task, in the fiction.
5. Have the trigger for making a check be something more than simply I attempt the task.An example of (4): in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/torchbearer-2e-actual-play-of-this-awesome-system.691233/post-9183845" target="_blank">my most recent Torchbearer session</a>, the PCs were camping and one of them wanted to smoke the flesh of the giant frogs they had killed. Mechanically, this triggered a Cook test to turn game into preserved rations. The test failed. The failure narration didn't have anything at all to say about the PC's ability as a cook; it took the form of the PCs' camp being brought to an unexpected end by the arrival of bandits trying to take them prisoner.Another example of (4), from a rulebook rather than actual play, is the example skill challenge in the 4e D&amp;D Rules Compendium (p 163). The PCs are trying to identify a building, as part of an urban investigation. The GM calls for a Streetwise check. The player fails the check, which triggers failure at the skill challenge, and the GM narrates the PCs being interrupted in their investigation by hostile NPCs whom they had brushed off earlier in the challenge.The main example of (5) that I'm familiar with, from multiple RPGs, is &quot;say 'yes' or roll the dice&quot;: a check is only called for if something is at stake in the situation that relates to the overarching/underlying theme or conflict.RPG rules can do more than provide &quot;improv prompts&quot; while also serving a different purpose from &quot;board game+&quot; - namely, they can be the basis for introducing content that would not be introduced via improv:</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 9194885, member: 42582"] There are other design choices too. Two important ones (which don't need to be mutually exclusive) are: [indent]4. Have resolution rules whereby a failed check [I]at the table[/I] doesn't correlate to [I]failure at the task, in the fiction[/I]. 5. Have the trigger for making a check be something more than simply [I]I attempt the task[/I].[/indent] An example of (4): in [url=https://www.enworld.org/threads/torchbearer-2e-actual-play-of-this-awesome-system.691233/post-9183845]my most recent Torchbearer session[/url], the PCs were camping and one of them wanted to smoke the flesh of the giant frogs they had killed. Mechanically, this triggered a Cook test to turn game into preserved rations. The test failed. The failure narration didn't have anything at all to say about the PC's ability as a cook; it took the form of the PCs' camp being brought to an unexpected end by the arrival of bandits trying to take them prisoner. Another example of (4), from a rulebook rather than actual play, is the example skill challenge in the 4e D&D Rules Compendium (p 163). The PCs are trying to identify a building, as part of an urban investigation. The GM calls for a Streetwise check. The player fails the check, which triggers failure at the skill challenge, and the GM narrates the PCs being interrupted in their investigation by hostile NPCs whom they had brushed off earlier in the challenge. The main example of (5) that I'm familiar with, from multiple RPGs, is "say 'yes' or roll the dice": a check is only called for if something is at stake in the situation that relates to the overarching/underlying theme or conflict. RPG rules can do more than provide "improv prompts" while also serving a different purpose from "board game+" - namely, they can be the basis for introducing content that would not be introduced via improv: [/QUOTE]

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