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<blockquote data-quote="kinem" data-source="post: 3933911" data-attributes="member: 24234">The players, not the characters, are the ones playing the game.&nbsp; Therefore ALL challenges must be challenges for the players, not the characters.&nbsp; The characters' abilities are a mere tool for the players to use to meet these challenges.Likewise, the rewards are for the players (fun and satisfaction).&nbsp; A game in which a PC does nothing but gain great in-character wealth by just succeeding on a few skill checks with no risk to himself would make the PC very happy IC, but the player would be bored and sad.So, I'm of the old school view that puzzles, social interactions, and searching should be based more on player ability than character ability, just like combat tactics.&nbsp; PCs shouldn't roll intelligence checks to decide whether to attempt a grapple or just swing a sword.That said, puzzles should make sense in-game - which pretty much rules out any use of them as 'guards' to an old crypt or the like - no NPC would be stupid enough to create such a thing.&nbsp; And obviously, there should be a variety of ways to overcome any given obstacle.&nbsp; If some old adventurer wrote the location of a secret door in code, it should still be possible to find that door the normal way by searching, by magic, etc.One thing to avoid at all costs is language puzzles.&nbsp; Languages in D&amp;D are NOT English, they do not have the same number of letters in the alphabet, and they do NOT have the same homonyms or rhymes as English.&nbsp; They are completely alien languages, so a puzzle must not rely on any special features of English or other Earthly languages.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="kinem, post: 3933911, member: 24234"] The players, not the characters, are the ones playing the game. Therefore ALL challenges must be challenges for the players, not the characters. The characters' abilities are a mere tool for the players to use to meet these challenges. Likewise, the rewards are for the players (fun and satisfaction). A game in which a PC does nothing but gain great in-character wealth by just succeeding on a few skill checks with no risk to himself would make the PC very happy IC, but the player would be bored and sad. So, I'm of the old school view that puzzles, social interactions, and searching should be based more on player ability than character ability, just like combat tactics. PCs shouldn't roll intelligence checks to decide whether to attempt a grapple or just swing a sword. That said, puzzles should make sense in-game - which pretty much rules out any use of them as 'guards' to an old crypt or the like - no NPC would be stupid enough to create such a thing. And obviously, there should be a variety of ways to overcome any given obstacle. If some old adventurer wrote the location of a secret door in code, it should still be possible to find that door the normal way by searching, by magic, etc. One thing to avoid at all costs is language puzzles. Languages in D&D are NOT English, they do not have the same number of letters in the alphabet, and they do NOT have the same homonyms or rhymes as English. They are completely alien languages, so a puzzle must not rely on any special features of English or other Earthly languages. [/QUOTE]

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