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Originally Posted by khorboth
Puzzles and riddles are a big part of traditional roleplaying games. But... Do you make the players solve them?
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I avoid puzzles of the "guess what I'm thinking" variety, where I've concocted a scenario that has a single arbitrary solution. Riddles and certain kinds of puzzles fall into this category.
When there are challenges to "figure out" -- where the "How are we going to approach this" isn't clear, the "how" part is an exercise for the players, though they can use their skills to ask questions and get clarity about the challenge that may inform how they approach it.
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What about figuring out plot elements? Do the players have to figure it out? What if some character has a high skill in politics or subterfuge? Roll to win the game is pretty unsatisfying. How have you struck a good balance?
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Figuring out the plot is player driven, just as above.
FWIW, I try to avoid telling characters "roll against x skill" for information. I strongly encourage players to invoke their skills themselves. For example, if there is an ongoing conflict between nobles in a region and they players are being pursued and seeking refuge, I would never just say "okay, Malachi, roll against your Area Knowledge" as a gateway to giving information about where they might find secret shelter, but it would be entirely appropriate for Malachi's player to say "I think we'd like to seek shelter outside of town. Can I use naturalist and area knowledge to find a place that is hidden but with a good view of the surrounding area?"