Reality Checks - Are they necessary?

I've been practicing them since I first heard about lucid dreaming (but recently stopped) yet not once have they led to me becoming lucid. In all my lucid dreams so far (~30) I've become lucid because of my awareness and questioning whether I am dreaming or awake, not from doing a random RC. So what's the point if doing them in waking life? All I do is All day awareness and it works fine: my awareness carries over to dreams and I become lucid. The only use of RCs I can see is to do them after you become lucid before you, say, jump off a building. What do you think?

Sort of. I do them as a sort of rehearsal during the day. I ask myself very seriously if I am dreaming, do an RC, and then pretend I've become lucid. Try to repeat my goals from memory, etc. But I've also become lucid off of a random RC, so I would not toss them completely :)

Also, if you never do RCs in waking life, you may run into a situation where you think that you may be dreaming, only to decide that you're actually awake (and then wake up moments--or many minutes--later). All you would need to do in that situation is mindfully RC, as opposed looking around for clues, or trusting your own fallible dream senses and logic.

You are right, Reality Checks don't really get you lucid. I haven't ever had a lucid dream where I have thought to do a RC then realize I was dreaming. All my lucid dreams, I have thought that I might be dreaming and then I did a RC. I think that they are helpful for confirming you are in a dream. There may be a situation where you aren't sure whether you are dreaming or not, such as in a False Awakening, then a RC may help confirm it. I think that they are a good thing to do during the day as well, as long as you take a minute or so to observe yourself and what's around you. Just plugging your nose at random times during the day won't get you lucid. Being aware will.

Nah.

They are just one of DILD Techniques which boost your awareness,
Some people might find them more comfortable and easier than doing awareness stuff.

All you need for lucid dreaming is finding a way (or technique?) that suits you the best
And when you find it, change the technique and modify it to your needs so it can be even easier, less effortful and more effective :cheeky:

Well it depends because there are different types of RCs depending on your actual awareness. Generally an RC is to question reality but really in a dream all it's actually doing is confirming that you're dreaming. What initially makes you lucid is the "thought" or awareness that you just might in fact be dreaming. This is really common with ADA or Sporadic Awareness.

Then there are other types which would be constant awareness, where you pretty much RCing all day long. So it could variate in several ways.