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Random comments in reply to various other people's thoughts...

That'll Do may be more useful for normal skill checks than it is for Skill Challenge skill checks.

Key skill checks you may wish to use That'll Do on include escaping a grab (Acrobatics vs. Ref or Athletics vs. Fort), climbing (Athletics), and Heal checks to stabilize or to trigger a save or Second Wind.

Each of those situations can be a real make or break, and That'll Do allows you to attempt the skill check even with only a moderate skill modifier, knowing that you can at worst get (10 + modifier).

Any restrictions on cards should be simple enough that you don't need to refer to written rules. So, nothing like "you can use one card per tier per encounter, but you can only use one of each type of card per character per encounter, but you can have more in your stack"... that's too complex.

Just limit the number of cards in your stack to a more reasonable (i.e. smaller) number, or allow only one of each type of card in the stack, or both. That's easy enough to remember.

Dec 21, 2009 -- 10:45AM, Kurald_Galain wrote:

Oh yeah, it seems that everyone uses at-will rerolls, That'll Do, and Snap, and occasionally see that crit-on-a-19 card, and that pretty much every other card might as well not exist.

Exception: there's a card that boosts movement, which is sometimes used for no reason because it gives an ally +2 bonus later on. That's... probably not what the designers intended.

Overall it is a clunky system, and it's certainly not a "reward" for anything considering everybody can just download them. They're more like "player entitlement" cards, in that some players feel entitled to having moar bonus.

My usual load, at all tiers, has become Scramble to Safety, That'll Do, and Quick Getaway. And I primarily use them for the movement options, too - but tactical positioning with extra movement is vastly powerful for the character classes i tend to play. (my player frequently has role leader, even if the character isn't one)

Dec 21, 2009 -- 5:10PM, Keithric wrote:

If we turn off reward cards? Then I guess we'll fail more skill challenges with no That'll Dos and lose some xp. I actually know some people who would consider that a benefit, since they'll get to play more adventures with their characters.

True, but I'm betting authors would adapt and allow more skill choices per scene or required roll. It is very easy to reduce skill challenge difficulty. It is harder to increase the challenge. Once you make a skill challenge scene about just one scene, the only thing you can do to make it harder (assuming hard DCs) is to force a random PC to make a roll. That will go over like a lead zeppelin. Making things easier by expanding the skill menu often makes for better RP and participation.

I don't see authors fighting That'll Do, by the way. Whenever I've pointed out to authors during playtests that their SCs are easy, they are almost always aware of that and ok with that. It was the same for me. The point with an SC often isn't to have you on the edge of your seat watching how the dice roll, but to paint the story while still having some mechanic involvement/strategy.