Ive also DM'ed a few groups and while it hasent occored like they do in bg3 the concept by iself does not mean bad DMing.
Heres an example taken from a group I DM'ed for. The players had done something (I think they stole something, cant recall. Lets call it X) and got caught by someone. That NPC chased the players and confronted them followed by a mob. My players came up with the following plan that they were going to try and pull off: Talk to people who are blaming them of X and defend themselves by bluffing together an alibi (deception). They then wanted to walk towards and through the mob as they were defending themselfves while planting evidence on someone else. (hard sleight of hand check) and then shift blame to the other party (persuassion) in the same conversation by asking them to show whats in their pockets. (realisticly those people should also get a perception roll but I decided to keep that out, it was allready complicated as it was)
Thats a scenario ive had players discuss but for reasons I cant recall they never went through with it.I think they just murderhoboed their way out or one of the players deviced a more diplomatic solution *shrug* its been a few years so half of the details are lost on me im afraid.
Point is. Multiple tests by themselves are fine. So long as they are relevant in context. In the example that I just gave no single 1 check would be enough to pull off the complicated act that they were trying to pull there. If you have to roll 3 or 4 times for the same thing; then fair enough. Dont do that.
My experience with Nettie dident get past the 1st skill check as I failed that one miserably so dident get to see them xD but the tadpole that you want to crush dident seem that out of place honestly. Its a parasite in your mind that is trying several ways to influence you not to kill one of its kind. Something like that shouldnt be easy to resist and I think you could keep trying to squish it after you failed a test as well. Which you wouldnt be able to do either if you cant allow multiple tests. Oh you failed that test so squish it? Tough luck. Your character is 100% convinced to leave it alone. Even if he pretty much knows that hes just been influenced to do something against his own best interest.
Yeah I dont think that alternative would sit well with people either.... What do you guys propose they should do in that scenario?
Your examples and the game experiences do not mash up. The examples we are talking about are succeeding on checks, but the game basically saying no, screw you. So an appropriate example from your DM experience would be your players successfully deceiving the mob, then someone in the mob going: "... Bull shite!" and then having your players roll again for the same deception check.
For the tad pole, memory is fuzzy, but the check was to squish the bug despite it trying to mess with your mind. That is a clear distinction. The check was not to resist the effects, but to perform a very specific action while trying to combat the mind stuff. Your reward for succeeding? Do it again.
