Quote Originally Posted by Skrum View Post
But - none of this addresses what might be my core problem. There's no agency in skill checks. It's just use the obviously best, highest check you possibly can. I guess something like the Varying Success system could address some of this? Have poorly matched skills have terrible downside risk? But again, that's just a lot of DM time to make it feel right.
This argument feels a little bit like complaining that Wizards aren't great grapplers, or that Paladins or Monks aren't great archers. Yeah, they can participate, but it's a bit of a craps shoot and their contribution, even if they succeed, pales by comparison to what they could or arguably should be doing instead. "There's no agency in [insert specific thing]. It's just use the obviously best, highest check you possibly can" is an statement that suggests your agency was in building what your character is obviously best at, because it applies to just about anything in the game.

I do suspect that a lot of players (including GMs) overlook using skills in a way that actually enhances the game, but I don't think it's because of a lack of DC's provided or because of bounded accuracy. I think it comes down to a lack of engagement with the rest of the system. Few Class or Race features actually interface with the use of skill proficiencies and those that do, usually serve to either specialise them (e.g. Expertise) or negate them (e.g. Natural Explorer). This creates a divide between the "push button, do thing" features and the "roll dice, do thing" ability checks, in which the former are usually preferred because all that's needed is to expend the resource (which is usually replenished easily and without consequence, by resting).

You already pointed out upthread one aspect of the game in which skills actually do interface remarkably well with the game and that's grappling; by making it an Athletics check, it opens up any feature or ability that enhances those to also impact the ability to move and restrain opponents. It offers Acrobatics as an alternative defence, which by extension means Dexterity comes into play as well as Strength, speed and what you can actually do with the condition. Where else in the game is a skill proficiency really tied to another aspect of play that isn't just a skill challenge? Introducing more of this kind of system integration where skill, or more accurately ability, checks play a more central role in gameplay, rather than the resource management of spell slots and rest-based class features, is how to "fix" the perception of skills and IMO the game as a whole (such as the dominance of spellcasters at high levels; a problem created by having better and more varied "I win" buttons as a resource rather than a roll).