DragnaCarta

DMs running social encounters must often rely on paragraphs of bullet-pointed notes, creating a loop of forgetfulness, cross-referencing, and clumsy adjudication that can leave any DM frustrated. By contrast, while combat encounters also include many moving parts, the combat statblock helps organize our ability to operate enemies in combat, streamlining our efforts and reducing the mental load. How might we do the same for social encounters in D&D 5e?

Skill challenges are conflicts that go beyond combat or conversation. They demand creativity, teamwork, and resourcefulness as characters come together in a high-stakes, heart-pounding action sequence.