Conflex is a skill challenge system I've been working on, and have been using in a game I'm DMing. I think I've gotten it to a point where it could be useful to others, and I would be interested in hearing thoughts and opinions from others.
The system is build around the notion of
conflicts. Basically, a conflict is some force in the world that would cause the characters problems if it's not dealt with -- something that stands in the way of their goals. The players can roll skill checks to handle those conflicts, but the conflicts periodically get a chance to respond.
Some major design characteristics:
- Each skill check goes against multiple DCs. The higher the DC met, the more progress made
- Every skill check has a decent chance of helping at least a little. Someone with the worst skill modifier possible has about a 25% chance of hitting the lowest DC
- An individual skill check cannot cause failure of the skill challenge -- it can only fail to help address a conflict as much as it could
- There is, at least supposed to be, a significant amount of decision making involved with winning or losing. I've often felt, in other skill challenge systems, that a loss was primarily due to poor die rolls, not bad decision making.
Fair warning: the system is significantly more complicated than other skill challenge systems I've used. It uses a worksheet (page 2 of the PDF) which really must be printed out. However, I've been able to run Conflex successfully without explaining much of the mechanics to my players -- I just explain their situation, and some of their options, in in-game terms, and things worked out pretty well.
Thanks to Stalker0 and
his Obsidian skill challenge system. I've found it useful in my DMing, and continue to use it for things Conflex is not designed to handle. My design goals were heavily influenced by his work.
Scribd page:
Conflex Skill Challenge System
And yet another word from our sponsors
