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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MrMyth" data-source="post: 5423585" data-attributes="member: 61155">DMG, pg 12: "Being a referee means that the DM stands as a mediator between the rules and the players. A player tells the DM what he wants to do, and the DM responds by telling the character what kind of check to make and mentally setting the target number." DMG, pg 20: "Once you’re done describing the area, the players tell you what their characters want to do... Your job here is to listen to what the players want to do and identify how to resolve their actions." DMG, pg 74, 'Running a Skill Challenge': "You describe the environment, listen to the players’ responses, let them make their skill checks, and narrate the results... Sometimes, a player tells you, 'I want to make a Diplomacy check to convince the duke that helping us is in his best interest.' That’s great—the player has told you what she’s doing and what skill she’s using to do it. Other times, a player will say, 'I want to make a Diplomacy check.' In such a case, prompt the player to give more information about how the character is using that skill."DMG, pg 101, 'Building an Adventure': "Player and character choices must matter in a good adventure... You must give the players enough information, even in simple situations, for them to make meaningful decisions."DMG2, pg 11-12, "Strongly plotted adventures provide players with multiple opportunities to make decisions that insert branch points into the story... Sometimes, players make unexpected choices, forcing you to improvise a suitable response. A DM who prefers to prepare every encounter before starting an adventure might try to nullify the players' choice, encouraging their return to the preplanned set of obstacles. DMs who like to improvise might use these unanticipated decision branches as opportunities to allow the players to take the story in a new direction."DMG2, pg 83, "Like combat encounters, skill challenges work best when you and the players want one to happen.Let's say you designed a combat encounter for your next adventure. The characters need to cross a bridge, and there's a big, hungry troll in their way. Time for a fight!That is, unless the players decide to sneak around the troll or bribe it with a cask of fine ale. A good DM knows that sometimes it's best to take the party's crazy plan and run with it, especially if the players back up their ideas with a few rolls of 20 on Stealth or Diplomacy checks. A good DM thinks on his feet and rewards clever, interesting ideas.The same logic applies to skill challenges. Is there a chance that a really good idea could completely trump your skill challenge? Don't fret! That's a good thing. D&D is a game about creativity and imagination. If there's only one specific, scripted path to success, you've lost what makes D&D fun. When you build a skill challenge, be prepared for it to head in a direction you didn't anticipate or for the party to fail utterly. That way, the game moves on regardless of what happens with the challenge."</blockquote>

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